Responding to the announcement by Immigration Minister Alex Hawke that a further 15,000 places would be offered to people fleeing Afghanistan, Amnesty International Australia refugee advisor Dr Graham Thom said:
“While a commitment to resettle Afghan refugees is of course welcome, we again stress the need for these to be in addition to the humanitarian quota – we have capacity to offer many more.
“We also need more clarity around the timeline for evacuating people. There are people living in hiding too afraid to leave safe houses for fear for their lives, we have to act quickly to get them to safety. While a four-year commitment is important, these people need to see urgent action now.”