Afghanistan crisis
I am part of the Australian-Hazara community . I am a photojournalist who came to Australia seeking safety , and now I work at the ASRC . I have not been able to sleep properly since the advance of the Taliban ’ s power in Afghanistan . So many people are at great risk of losing their lives or homes .
There are thousands of us living in Australia who have family members at risk of violence and death from the Taliban . Every day , our families are asking us for our help to leave and be safe . Women , children , the LGTBIQ community , religious minorities such as the Hindus , Sikhs and Shias , ethnic minorities such as the Hazaras , members of the civil society , journalists , people who worked with UN and international organisations and the allied forces , are not safe from the Taliban .
Hazara Australians know intimately the violence of the Taliban , the risk of mass atrocities and genocide . The attacks on Hazaras and women have already begun since the withdrawal of Allied troops . I am working with diverse diaspora community leaders and activists to call on the Australian Government to act quickly and decisively with a humanitarian solution , but we need your help .
Please , can you use your voice to ask the Australian Government to immediately grant 20,000 special humanitarian visas to the people who are at dire risk of harm from the Taliban . The Government must also commit to providing permanent visas to people from Afghanistan currently in Australia seeking asylum and urgently make arrangements to bring their family members to Australia , and release people from Afghanistan currently in detention .
TAKE ACTION : Call Prime Minister Scott Morrison to provide 20,000 humanitarian visas to people in Afghanistan and provide permanent protection to people in Australia .
Barat Batoor Community Organiser - People with Lived Experience
P . S . In 2015 , the community rose up and demanded we support Syrian refugees by providing additional humanitarian visas . In less than a week , Tony Abbott went from rejecting the idea to announcing a special 15,000 additional people would be given safety here . We can do this again . Please call the Prime Minister ' s office now . ( on 02 6277 7700 )
St Margaret ’ s News 11 August 2021