One Year Since Taliban Takeover, Afghanistan Is In Crisis: Albanese Government Must Take Action

The Action for Afghanistan campaign today reiterates its call for the federal government to provide 20,000 emergency humanitarian visas immediately for people from Afghanistan, as Monday 15th August marks a year since Kabul fell to the Taliban.

Over the last year, the situation in Afghanistan has rapidly deteriorated, with civilian casualties, extrajudicial killings, restrictions on women and girls’ rights, and the ongoing targeting and persecution of minorities including Hazaras and Sikhs, becoming increasingly a pattern. 

The former Morrison government only committed to 16,500 visas and this was spaced over 4 years. More than 211,100 people from Afghanistan have applied for humanitarian protection so far. Australia has a moral obligation to provide at least 20,000 emergency humanitarian visa places immediately. The government must also ensure permanent protection to refugees already in Australia on uncertain temporary visas, and provide resettlement opportunities to refugees in Indonesia as well as remove all delays and restrictions on family reunification pathways.

Sitarah Mohammadi, Juris Doctorate Candidate and Refugee Advocate: 

“Australia made significant contributions over its 20-year involvement in Afghanistan, in areas of civic life, education and the advancement in women’s rights. Alas, all strides made in freedom of media, women’s rights and equality for all citizens in Afghanistan, have been lost.

“Over the last 12 months, people from Afghanistan have been calling the Australian Government to act quickly to process their claims for humanitarian protection. So far, we have seen very limited action from the government. It must be underlined that the situation on the ground for activists, journalists, former government employees and religious minorities, especially the Hazaras, is extremely precarious. For some, the waiting process has cost them their life. Our government must act with urgency, as peoples’ lives are on the line. We must honour our legacy in Afghanistan.”

Diana Sayed, CEO, Australian Muslim Women’s Centre for Human Rights:

“One year on, and we continue to see heartbreak, hardship and harrowing tales of a country that is losing faith with every day that passes for a future that once held so much hope for all of its citizens. We can no longer wait for the world to act — we must stand up against injustice and act in solidarity for the people of Afghanistan.”

Shabnam Safa, Chair - National Refugee-led Advisory and Advocacy Group:

“It’s heartbreaking to think that after 12 long painful months and a change of government, we are still calling for concrete action for Afghanistan. Despite the various promises and commitments, we’ve only seen 6,000 visas granted to people from Afghanistan in the last year. Refugees from Afghanistan in Australia are still in limbo on temporary protection visas with no definite end to their suffering in sight yet. This has been an excruciatingly slow response from the Australian government, both the former and new. This crisis is only getting worse, we cannot waste more time and must act with urgency.”

Zaki Haidari, Refugee Rights Campaigner - Amnesty International Australia:

“We cannot stand by and watch as the human rights of a whole population collapses under the Taliban. We need the Australian Government to join a united international response to end the nightmare of arbitrary detentions, torture, disappearances and summary executions.

“Women and girls have been stripped of their rights and deprived of education. We must act together to hold the Taliban accountable.”

Barat Ali Batoor, Photographer, Filmmaker and Human Rights Advocate - Asylum Seeker Resource Centre: 

“When Kabul fell to the Taliban last year we called on the previous government to take immediate action, but they didn’t listen. We witnessed everything we were fearful for, from preventing women and girls going to school and work, silencing media, torturing journalists, targetting religious minorities, ethnic cleansing of the Hazaras and to extra judicial killings of civilians.

“We hope the new government will not waste time in taking action for Afghanistan. The events happening in Afghanistan have a great impact on the well being of the diaspora community in Australia.”

Sayed Rahmatullah Hussainizada, Human Rights Lawyer and refugee advocate: 

“A year on since the fall of Kabul, we still witness horror, persecution and an incredible humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan. Hundreds of thousands are forcibly displaced, millions live in poverty and the girls are still not allowed to attend to their education. What the Taliban has shown in the last year, is a testament that they’re willing to rule with impunity with no regards to human rights or international law. With a change of government, we hope for a renewed commitment to Afghanistan and our moral obligation. Australia must act now.”

Mariam Veiszadeh, CEO, Lawyer & Human Rights advocate:

“I have been advocating for my family since Kabul fell in August last year and the progress on their humanitarian application has been frustratingly slow. People are languishing awaiting their applications to be processed and in the case of my extended family member who was abducted last year by suspected Taliban militia groups, we recently received news confirming our worst fears, that his body had been found. The grave risk posed to the rest of the family is life threatening.”

One Year Since Taliban Takeover

Since the Taliban takeover, women in Afghanistan have seen their rights systematically denied, including drastic limits on their freedom of movement and restrictions on employment, while girls and women have been banned from secondary education. While the fundamental human rights of all people in Afghanistan continue to be violated, Afghanistan’s historically persecuted and marginalised Hazara ethnic group, who faced widespread killings and genocide during the Taliban’s 1990s regime, continue to face ongoing, systematic and targeted attacks, and whose lives in Afghanistan remain in grave danger. Such significant threats also exist for regions which have historically resisted Taliban control such as Badakhshan and Panjshir Provinces.

Afghanistan has also been ravaged by poverty, drought and the worsening economic situation since the Taliban seized power. Millions of people from Afghanistan have been displaced and the country has been crippled by the compounding forces of the oppressive Taliban regime, natural disasters as result of climate change, and food insecurity, which is leading to a country-wide famine and acute malnutrition. 

Media contact: 
Michelle Bennett, michelle.bennett@hrlc.org.au 0419 100 519