On Sunday, a Taliban spokesman
Entering the capital came following a months-long offensive by the militant group, and as Coalition forces made arrangements to evacuate their personnel from the country.
Amid the change of government, SBS Dari understands there are dozens of former Afghan military personnel who are living under heightened fear due to the work they undertook as locally engaged employees (LEEs) of Australian forces during the conflict.
For many in this cohort, their applications for certification from the Australian Defence Force (ADF) – a prerequisite to applying for asylum in Australia – were rejected.
Ali* worked alongside Australian forces as an interpreter in Kandahar and Uruzgan between 2009 and 2010.
He says the Defence Force rejected his service certification application in July 2021, after it was lodged in 2019.
The rejection came due to the year in which he applied, he believes.
"In July 2021, I received a rejection letter and the main reason was that I hadn't applied earlier," he says.
"The security situation was comparatively better in the years before I applied for asylum [before 2019] and we could live our lives and my children could go to school.
It's hard for me now because I have been threatened directly and indirectly. I received threat messages on Facebook and in the place where I live.
Now living under the rule of the Taliban, the 31-year-old says he's “extremely concerned” for his safety.
"The situation in Kabul is very painful and the Taliban are present in all parts of the city. I fear if they begin searching our houses or start to follow us because we worked with NATO forces," he said.
"We live in fear and in a very bad situation. They [Taliban] don't have mercy on those who worked with foreign organisations and NATO forces.
"We request the [Australian] government and officials to urgently take action because we are in danger and we don't know what to do. It's difficult to predict what is going to happen tomorrow."
'Counting down the days' until possible death
Jamshed* worked as an interpreter alongside Australian forces in Uruzgan province from 2010 to 2012.
He applied for certification twice, in 2016 and 2018, but was rejected on both occasions.
He says the situation in Afghanistan is “not good” as he has faced several threats, which prompted a third appeal for certification.
He is currently living in Nangarhar province, which fell to the Taliban on August 15.
Image supplied by Jamshed (L) with Australian soldiers in Afghanistan. Source: SBS Dari
"The situation is very delicate and sensitive [in Nangarhar province], those who have worked with foreigners, including me, are counting down the days until possible death because of the Taliban’s threats," he says.
Fears of the Taliban forced me to burn all of my Australian documents or throw them into the river.
He says there is no way to leave the country because "neighbouring countries have closed their borders" and he does not have the "financial means to escape".
"It is good that the cemetery of our village is close to our house. So, I made a will to my family that if [the Taliban] kill me, then will bury me in the same cemetery.
"We haven't seen any speed up of the process until now. When we are sending emails, [the Australian government] doesn't even provide any updates about the process nor reply to the emails."
Ex-Australian army officer Jason Scanes says the advocacy group Forsaken Fighters Australia has made contact with at least 45 interpreters that had been rejected.
Although the figure for those rejected since 2013 is “elusive”, he says the defence department “would be aware” of the cases, “as they are the ‘certifying’ authority”.
“It is also important to note that certification by the defence minister does not also mean that an individual’s visa will also be approved," he says.
“We have assisted interpreters who have been certified as eligible to apply for a visa and then not been granted a visa. We have had numerous requests particularly since April 21, where concerns were growing and what we see unfolding was predicted.”
Mr Scanes says he has an extensive list with details to verify the ex-soldiers and their claims, including their LEE certification applications, IDs, phone numbers, email addresses, certificates of work with Australian forces and letters of recommendation.
“The assistance we are providing is reviewing their original rejection and where possible, proving advice on re-applying for the LEE process noting the ‘exceptional circumstances’ that now exist with the shift in the landscape in Afghanistan.
“We are also working with other international advocacy groups and assisting in accommodation and safehouse assistance for many that have fled from areas previously captured by the Taliban.”
As part of the certification process, the Department of Defence assesses each application it receives to verify the applicant worked for the Australian Defence Force and meets the criteria as set out in the Migration Regulations 1994.
Once certified as eligible, applicants may then apply for a Humanitarian Visa through the Department of Home Affairs and are given the highest visa processing priority.
'Less than 50 applications currently on-hand'
A spokesperson from the Department of Home Affairs told SBS Dari: “The safety of Locally Engaged Employees (LEE) who have supported Australia’s mission in Afghanistan is a high priority for the Australian government."
“The Australian government is working swiftly to ensure each case is considered and those at risk of harm who meet visa requirements are resettled to Australia as soon as possible,” a statement read.
“The safety and security of Australia is an absolute priority. Applicants must meet the visa criteria and satisfy public interest criteria for character, security and health. Visa grants under the LEE program in 2020-21 were the highest since 2013-14.
The spokesperson added that since 2013, over 1800 Afghan LEEs and their eligible family members have been granted visas.
“Since 15 April 2021, over 570 people in Afghanistan have been granted a visa under the Afghan LEE program (including family members).
“The department has less than 50 applications currently on-hand and are processing them as quickly as possible.
“More than 400 people granted under the Afghan LEE program in 2021 have already commenced their settlement journey in Australia.
“Afghan LEEs and their immediate family members with valid Australian visas are automatically exempt from Australia’s travel restrictions."
A Department of Defence spokesperson told SBS Pashto: "The Australian government is deeply concerned about the evolving situation in Afghanistan.
"The Australian government has been working to ensure the expatriation of former Afghan Locally Engaged Staff (LES) since 2013, and this work continues. The Australian government is rapidly processing applications from Afghan LES, which are being given the highest priority."
The spokesperson added, for information on the certification of locally engaged staff "please see the Op-Ed from the Ministers for Defence and Foreign Affairs" published in The Daily Telegraph on July 14, 2021.
This - written by Foreign Minister Marise Payne and Defence Minister Peter Dutton - argued there were cases that had been “simply difficult to accept” as they posed “security risks”.
*Names hidden due to safety concerns
