Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke has issued the first humanitarian visas to Palestinian families arriving in Australia after almost a year of pressure on the issue.
Since the October 7 attack by Hamas, the government has and granted 2,922 as of 11 September, according to ABC reports. About 1,300 of those with approved visas have made the journey to Australia.
There have been 9,865 visas granted to Israeli citizens while 255 visa applications were rejected over the same period.
The government has faced scrutiny from the Greens and advocacy groups over their decision to grant tourist visas to Palestinians fleeing Gaza as it is a temporary pathway that does not allow rights such as the ability to work.
Speaking to ABC’s RN on Tuesday morning, Burke revealed he had met with at least a dozen Palestinian families in recent weeks and changed their visas.
“I’ve been dealing with some of the Palestinians on visitor visas who are here in Australia, some on visitor visas, some on bridging visas, and for some of the people who I’ve been meeting with, I’ve been transferring them onto humanitarian visas,” he said.
Burke said he had met with “extraordinary people” and was considering visas on a “case by case basis”.
Tony Burke says visa pathway is now the ‘same’ as Ukrainian war
Since the October 7 escalation, the treatment of Palestinian refugees has often been contrasted with the humanitarian visas that were granted to Ukrainians fleeing war in 2022.
Independent senator David Pocock questioned the Department of Home Affairs over their approach during May estimates. It was revealed that, as of 26 May, only six Palestinians had been granted bridging visas, and no families had been offered humanitarian visas.
However, Burke revealed this has shifted slightly with the government issuing a small number of humanitarian visas to Palestinians.
“That’s the same humanitarian visa that the Ukrainians are now that the Ukrainians have been on, and so I’ve been doing that,” he said.
“We’re doing all the full checks that you’d expect in terms of security checks and everything that gets done.”
It remains unclear if the visas available are the same as the ones offered to Ukrainians.
However, if Palestinians are granted the temporary protection visa detailed on the Home Affairs website then recipients will have the right to work and study for three years under the new pathway.
Source Agencies
