Key Points
- The Australian government hasn’t yet said how many refugees it will accept in the new financial year.
- Advocates accuse the Labor government of abandoning its election promise to increase intakes.
- There are only about 11,000 places left for more than 159,200 Afghan applicants still in the queue.
The Albanese government had promised to almost double Australia’s annual refugee intake over time, but advocates say it’s now “highly unlikely” it will uphold this key election promise.
However, according to the Department of Home Affairs, the government maintains it “remains committed to generous and flexible humanitarian and settlement programs that meet Australia’s international protection obligations, and to provide appropriate support for the travel and resettlement of refugees and others requiring Australia’s protection”.
The Morrison government reduced the size of Australia’s refugee intake to 13,750 places per year in 2020.
LISTEN TO
Amnesty International Australia's Refugee Advisor Dr Graham Thom
13:04
In the 2022-23 budget, Labor kept the refugee quota at 13,750, plus a further 4,125 places for people fleeing Afghanistan, which was promised by the former Coalition government.
But there was no mention of either program in the 2023-24 budget handed down in May.
What does the government say?
The Department of Home Affairs says it sought feedback from advocacy groups and the Australian public and will announce its decision soon.
“The Government sought views from a broad range of stakeholders, including peak bodies, refugee, humanitarian community organisations and the Australian public to inform the 2023-24 Humanitarian Program,” a Department spokesperson told SBS Dari.
“The Government expects to provide further information in the near future.”
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Australian visa changes for 2023-24
'A missed opportunity'
But refugee advocates say the current situation of no increase is a "missed opportunity" and accuse Labor of abandoning its election commitments.
Dr Graham Thom is Amnesty International Australia’s Refugee Advisor. He has just returned from the UNHCR’s Annual Tripartite Consultations on Resettlement (ATCR) in Geneva.
The forum brings together the UNHCR, governments, NGOs and refugee representatives to “discuss and advance resettlement issues of common interest”.
Australia will be the chair of the ATCR for the next 12 months.
Dr Graham Thom (middle) whith two other Amnesty International delegates. Credit: Supplied/Graham Thom
“For the last 12 months, we were hoping that we would get an announcement in the budget which is when we normally see the size of the program, because that determines how much money will be set aside for the program, but we didn't get an announcement in the budget beyond what we already knew,” he told SBS Dari.
“And then, we were hoping with both Refugee Week and this meeting that Australia might use those opportunities to increase the intake. But sadly, we haven't heard anything yet.
Without a clear indication in the budget, we're not quite sure where that money is going to come from.Graham Thom
"So that makes us a little bit concerned that the government is not as committed as it said in its election promises to increase the program.”
Dr Thom said “there will be great expectation that Australia will step up and show leadership” while it’s chairing the UNHCR forum for the next 12 months.
“But while Australia talked a lot about its current program, and it's approaches to complementary protection and labour pathways, what we didn't hear was anything about the size of the program beyond what it has already been,” he added.
US and Canada came to the table with increased offers of accepting 125,000 and 50,000 more refugees respectively, while a number of European countries “went backwards”, according to Dr Thom.
According to the UNHCR, currently there are 35.3 million refugees around the world and, of those, 2.4 million are in need of resettlement.
“And yet of that 2.4 million, less than four per cent will probably get a solution,” Dr Thom said.
Afghan applicants waiting in 'precarious situations'
Australia has allocated a total of 26,500 refugee and humanitarian places for people fleeing the Taliban regime in Afghanistan over four years.
According to government figures, between 1 July, 2022, and 31 May, 2023, 17,272 visas have been granted to refugees wanting to come to Australia, including 15,350 offshore and 1,922 Protection visas.
According to Home Affairs' website, between 15 August 2021 and 19 May 2023, just over 12,200 Afghan applicants have recieved a humanitarian visa.
It means that more than 159,200 Afghan applicants will have to compete for only about 14,000 places.
“Since the fall of the government in Afghanistan, the Department of Home Affairs has received an unprecedented number of applications for Refugee and Humanitarian (Class XB) visas, which means it is taking longer than normal to respond,” said the Department’s spokesperson.
“The Department has put in place a number of additional measures to process applications, including additional staff in Australia and at the Department’s overseas locations.
“This additional resourcing is focused exclusively on processing applications from Afghan nationals."
The spokesperson said visa applicants were subject to “rigorous assessments” on an individual basis and “consequently, processing times and the Department’s ability to process applications for Humanitarian visas can vary according to the particular circumstances of the applicant; their location (be it inside or outside their home country); their ability to travel, provide documents, undergo biometrics and other medical checks; and access to Australian government officials”.
Dr Thom said some of the refugees were waiting in “very precarious situations” and Australia could do more to process them quicker.
