7.1
This chapter outlines the committee’s conclusions and recommendations, drawing on the evidence presented in previous chapters.
7.2
Since the committee’s interim report, tabled in January 2022, the humanitarian and economic crises in Afghanistan have continued to worsen. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) reported that as many as 97 per cent of Afghans could fall below the poverty line by mid-2022, taking Afghanistan’s population of 38 million into near-universal poverty. The Executive Director of the World Food Programme described the situation in Afghanistan as ‘now among the world’s worst humanitarian crises—if not the worst—and food security has all but collapsed’.
7.3
In this context, during this phase of the inquiry, the committee has focused on collecting updated evidence in relation to the situation on the ground in Afghanistan, the worsening humanitarian and economic crises, Australia’s visa programs and processing of visa applications for people associated with Afghanistan, the adequacy of settlement services and programs for Afghan arrivals in Australia, as well as veterans’ support and wellbeing.
Political, security and human rights situation and diplomatic engagement
Political situation and security risks
7.4
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) confirmed that the Taliban remain in control of Afghanistan—albeit with a fragile and inexperienced interim government—with no credible political or armed opposition in a position to challenge them. DFAT reiterated that Australia does not recognise the Taliban regime as the legitimate government of Afghanistan.
7.5
DFAT expressed ongoing concern about the security situation in Afghanistan, particularly in relation to the terrorist group the Islamic State—Khorasan Province (ISKP) and their aspirations and activities within and outside of Afghanistan. DFAT also questioned the Taliban’s ability and willingness to prevent terrorist activity in Afghanistan, which is something the international community is monitoring closely.
7.6
The committee supports Australia’s position to not recognise the legitimacy of the Taliban. Ongoing monitoring of the security situation in Afghanistan also remains important, as does working closely with our allies in relation to regional stability. Working closely with our international partners, a key area of Australia’s engagement, is deterring a resurgence of transnational terrorism and maintaining Australia’s counter terrorist financing efforts.
Human rights
7.7
Submitters raised ongoing concerns about the human rights situation in Afghanistan. Reports continue of acts of reprisal against opponents of the Taliban such as summary killings and enforced disappearances, particularly focused on security personnel associated with the previous government. In addition, witnesses provided evidence that the persecution of ethnic minority groups was also continuing.
7.8
The deteriorating situation for women and girls was also of significant concern for many providing evidence to the committee. Witnesses reported repressive social measures, the restriction of movement, and limited access to education, work and engagement in public life for women and girls in Afghanistan. Increased early and forced marriages were also reported.
7.9
DFAT noted that the Taliban have committed to allowing women and girls to return to school at the beginning of the school year in March 2022, which will be a key test for the validity of the Taliban’s commitments to the international community. Media reporting has indicated that whilst public universities have reopened for women to participate, albeit with some restrictions, secondary schools are yet to recommence for female students.
7.10
A number of humanitarian and aid organisations provided evidence that the Taliban has allowed women to work for non-government organisations (NGOs), in particular in health services, but under strict conditions including Sharia Hijab and male chaperones. The requirement for women to have a male chaperone has placed financial strain on NGOs who have been paying not only their female staff, but also their male chaperones who do little more than escort the workers from home to work and wait outside the workplace. The desperate need for workers to continue to support the health sector far outweighs the additional cost associated with chaperones, but it is clear that NGOs need support to continue this invaluable work.
7.11
The committee condemns the human rights abuses that are reported to be experienced in Afghanistan and supports urgent action to improve access to health, education, employment and other services for women and girls. The committee agrees that the human rights situation in Afghanistan should continue to be monitored closely and supports the United Nations Human Rights Council’s (UNHRC) decision to adopt a resolution to appoint a special rapporteur and team of experts to monitor the human rights situation in Afghanistan under the control of the Taliban by March 2022.
7.12
The committee supports Australia continuing to add its voice to international calls for the Taliban regime to uphold and protect all human rights in Afghanistan. Specifically in relation to women and girls, as part of its humanitarian response, the Australian Government should investigate options to support female aid staff to continue to work in critical health services safely and securely, including the potential of providing additional targeted funding.
Diplomatic engagement
7.13
Australia’s overseas engagement continues to be led by an interim mission on Afghanistan operating out of Doha, Qatar, led by Australia’s Special Representative on Afghanistan.
7.14
DFAT explained to the committee that Australia’s Special Representative on Afghanistan is authorised to engage with the Taliban regime in multilateral and group meetings where there is benefit in doing so, and has joined meetings with Taliban Acting Minister for Foreign Affairs Mottaqi along with representatives from partner countries to reinforce the international community’s expectations of the Taliban regime. Australia’s diplomatic engagement focuses on several areas: the safe passage of Australian citizens and those eligible to travel to Australia; reinforcing regional stability, including through humanitarian support; influencing the Taliban towards respecting human rights, particularly for women and girls, and minorities, and humanitarian principles; encouraging formation of an inclusive political process; and deterring a resurgence of transnational terrorism.
7.15
The committee acknowledges that Afghanistan’s situation is incredibly challenging given the scale of the humanitarian crisis and threat of economic collapse. Australia’s engagement with the Taliban is and should be guided by principle. The foundation underpinning Australia’s and other like-minded country’s engagement is the promotion of human rights principles, particularly for women and minorities, the establishment of an inclusive government—representative of Afghanistan’s broad ethnic, religious, and political landscape—as well as the condemnation of terrorism. The international community will need to consider options for longer-term strategies for engaging with the Taliban without recognition. To date, little appears to have changed in the behaviour of the Taliban to provide the international community with confidence. As Australia’s Special Representative on Afghanistan emphasised to the committee, the international community is judging the Taliban by their actions.
Humanitarian and economic situation in Afghanistan
7.16
The humanitarian crisis facing Afghanistan has continued to worsen since the committee’s interim report. Evidence received by the committee indicated that Afghanistan has seen an increase of 32–35 per cent in those in need of humanitarian assistance over the past three months. The crisis has been exacerbated by drought and food shortages, the onset of winter, the strain on the health system, including from the impact of COVID-19, and underpinned by a liquidity crisis.
7.17
The committee heard that Afghanistan now has the highest number of people in the world in emergency-level food insecurity, totalling 22.8 million people. Of that, 13.1 million children are now in need of humanitarian aid, an increase of 3.1 million in the last three months. One study found that up to one fifth of families in Afghanistan have been forced for send their children to work in the past six months, estimating that one million children are now engaged in child labour. It was noted that Afghanistan’s gross domestic profit (GDP) had contracted by almost 40 per cent since the Taliban’s resurgence. Reports predict that by the middle of 2022, more than 95 per cent of Afghans will be living in poverty.
7.18
The economic crisis facing Afghanistan has exacerbated the humanitarian crisis. The UNSC’s sanctions regime prohibits the direct or indirect provision of assets to (or for the benefit of) the Taliban, and the United States (US)
Government has frozen more than $7 billion in Afghan government reserves held in the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. The US issued sanctions exemptions in September and December 2021 to allow for the flow of aid. Similarly, the UNSC’s Resolution 2615 was adopted in December 2021 to enable the carving out of humanitarian assistance and other activities that support basic human needs from the sanctions regime.
7.19
DFAT noted that Resolution 2615 had automatic effect in Australian law; therefore the provision of humanitarian assistance covered under the exemption would not constitute an offence under Australian sanctions law.
Delivery of aid
7.20
While some concern was raised about the potential for the Taliban to be taking a cut of the aid delivered to Afghanistan, the committee heard from both aid organisations and DFAT that although there had been some isolated incidents that had been rectified, by and large aid had been getting through unimpeded.
7.21
The committee acknowledges the severity of the humanitarian and economic situation Afghanistan faces and notes that there is always the risk that some aid may inadvertently fall into the hands of the Taliban. However, this risk must be weighed against the urgent needs of the people of Afghanistan and regional stability and security which are also of strategic interest to Australia.
7.22
The committee heard from organisations which described their ongoing aid and development work and noted their experience and long history working in a Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, and the mechanisms and systems they utilise to ensure that funding goes where it should.
7.23
The committee recognises and commends the extraordinary work of the aid and development organisations which continue to operate on the ground in Afghanistan, adapting to the increased security risks and unstable financial situation whilst still providing essential support to those in desperate need.
7.24
DFAT informed the committee that Australia is continuing to work through trusted UN partners to deliver the announced $100 million in funding to provide humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan across 2021 to 2024. DFAT stated that it was on track to deliver $65 million this financial year. Of this amount, $22.5 million had been distributed on the ground so far with $14.5 million to the World Food Programme, $3.5 million to the United Nations Population Fund, and $4.5 million to the Afghanistan Humanitarian Fund.
7.25
A number of aid and development organisations welcomed the announcement, but called for Australia to provide additional aid, recommending $100 million in new funding on a multi-year basis.
7.26
Aid and development organisations also called for the Australian Government to work more directly with NGOs and diaspora groups on the ground in Afghanistan to distribute aid, with suggestions that the Australian Humanitarian Partnership (AHP) was an already established channel for supporting NGO-led humanitarian responses in complex environments. It was also suggested that longer-term development assistance funding was needed, for example through a new funding stream to support NGOs in achieving development goals.
7.27
The committee notes that the UN launched its Humanitarian Response Plan for Afghanistan (HRP) on 11 January 2022 which is calling for USD $4.4 billion in international aid in order to assist Afghanistan out of its unprecedented humanitarian crisis. The committee also notes that the Australian Government has yet to announce its contribution to the HRP.
7.28
Navigating the complexities of the current political, security and humanitarian landscape is challenging and Australia must consider how it can deliver assistance more effectively given the impending economic collapse, level of food insecurity and extreme level of poverty facing the people of Afghanistan. Therefore, Australia—and its allies—must continue to look for avenues to effectively channel humanitarian aid through the UN and its agencies, and trusted NGOs who remain on the ground, while ensuring the aid reaches its intended recipients. In the near-term, Australia’s aid should be focused on key immediate needs such as access to food, basic health services and assistance to particularly vulnerable groups, including women and girls. In the longer-term, there should be a focus on development support.
7.29
The committee recognises the tragic situation facing the people of Afghanistan and as the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan continues to worsen, the committee recommends that the Australian Government continue to provide ongoing targeted multi-year funding, including through the United Nation’s Humanitarian Response Plan for Afghanistan, which may need to increase in response to the scale of increased need.
7.30
Given the severity of the crises facing the people of Afghanistan, the committee recommends that the Australian Government utilise the most effective channels for aid funding and distribution, which may include United Nations, World Food Programme and non-government organisation (NGO) channels.
7.31
However, noting the ongoing security concerns, the current preference is to work through the United Nations channels including the World Food Programme and to engage with local NGOs to draw on local knowledge, where practicable, and investigate working more closely with NGOs in the longer term when the security situation is more stable.
Addressing the economic crisis
7.32
The committee heard evidence that the liquidity crisis was impacting the delivery of aid even after the UN passed Resolution 2615 in December 2021. The severe lack of money in the economy is creating problems not only for Afghans, but also for businesses and NGOs. Banks are still limiting the amount of money individuals, NGOs and businesses can withdraw on a given day, and to get money out of the bank often involves wait times of two to three hours. Additionally, evidence provided to the committee noted that international financial institutions such as Western Union, MoneyGram and StoneX were also difficult to access money through.
7.33
Due to these limitations, NGOs reported that they are largely utilising informal financial networks, such as hawalas, to send money into and around Afghanistan. However, these networks are unregulated and charge fees to utilise their services, and access to physical currency in the country remains scarce creating significant competition. It was noted that the service fees are having a significant impact on the ability of aid organisations to effectively utilise their funding and the banking restrictions have an impact on paying their staff.
7.34
It was suggested that the difficulties accessing money through banks and financial institutions is due to a lack of confidence and understanding of the changes to the sanctions regimes and the high risks associating with bringing money into Afghanistan under Taliban rule. Witnesses recommended that additional assurances were necessary to build the confidence of banks and financial institutions to reengage in the Afghan economy.
7.35
DFAT noted that it had provided advice to both the aid and financial sectors to ensure the changes under the exemption were understood, and that DFAT would continue to liaise with the sectors.
7.36
The committee recognises the importance of ensuring that the Afghan banking system does not collapse, but that it must be done in a way that does not provide the Taliban with resources. The committee also acknowledges the issues raised in the evidence regarding the liquidity crisis in Afghanistan and its impact on Afghans, NGOs and businesses.
7.37
The committee recommends that the Australian Government continue to liaise with its key allies and United Nations contacts and work together to develop solutions to the ongoing liquidity crisis. Mechanisms should be multi-faceted and flexible and must provide confidence for donors and the financial sector. However, importantly, any approach taken must also emphasise the clear international expectation that the Taliban do not interfere with the provision of aid to the people of Afghanistan.
7.38
Options could include for example:
to facilitate transfers of funds to Afghan banks, Australia and its partners could provide comfort letters to Australian and other foreign banks providing assurances that transactions with specified Afghan banks will not be prosecuted or fined under sanctions law;
Afghan banks could also be supported by Australia, its partners and appropriate international institutions to implement anti-money laundering and countering the financing of terrorism safeguards to provide further confidence to the sector and donors; and
the Australian Government should continue to provide clear instructions about the operation of UN Resolution 2615 to Australian financial institutions and organisations participating in the Afghan relief effort and should seek to ensure a consistent approach across donor countries.
Australia’s visa programs and visa processing issues
Updates on individuals in Afghanistan and those travelling to Australia
7.39
The committee notes updates received on the number of Australian citizens, permanent residents and visa holders leaving Afghanistan. In particular:
Since DFAT’s previous update to the committee in November 2021, an additional 1,400 Australian citizens, permanent residents and visa holders have successfully left Afghanistan and arrived in Australia.
DFAT are currently tracking 35 Australian citizens, 26 permanent residents and 148 foreign citizens who are immediate family members of Australians or permanent residents still in Afghanistan.
7.40
The committee is heartened that a substantial number of individuals continue to manage to leave Afghanistan and make their way to Australia. The committee reiterates its earlier comments that the Australian Government must continue all possible diplomatic and humanitarian efforts to ensure safe passage for individuals seeking to leave Afghanistan for Australia.
Humanitarian Stay (Temporary) subclass 449 visas
7.41
The committee heard that between August 2021—when the Government decided to issue emergency subclass 449 visas during the Afghanistan evacuation—and the end of 2021, 6,043 subclass 449 visas were granted and 4,328 subclass 449 visa holders arrived in Australia.
7.42
As at 8 February 2022, there were 517 Afghans with a valid subclass 449 visa that had not yet travelled to Australia.
7.43
Additionally, as of 31 December 2021, 1,398 people had their subclass 449 visas cease without entering Australia, due to the Minister’s decision in November 2021 not to offer renewed 449 visas to all those who held those visas and were still located outside of Australia.
7.44
This means that these individuals, who were deemed worthy of evacuation to Australia when their initial subclass 449 visa was issued but were not ultimately successful in travelling to Australia, have lost the ability to travel to Australia on an emergency visa and now must lodge applications in other general visa categories, all of which are associated with lengthy wait times.
7.45
In the committee’s interim report, the committee urged the Government to reinstate subclass 449 visas for all individuals remaining outside of Australia who were initially issued these visas during the evacuation. The committee reiterates this point, and requests that all individuals who were initially issued subclass 449 visas be granted the opportunity to travel and settle in Australia.
Locally Engaged Employee (LEE) program visas
7.46
Updated figures provided by Home Affairs show that the LEE visa program is still not adequately and speedily supporting locally engaged Afghan staff who put themselves in harm’s way for Australia. As at February 2022, Home Affairs still had visa applications on hand representing over 400 people associated with the LEE program, with an average wait time of nearly 40 weeks for these visa applications to be processed.
7.47
This again highlights the failures in relation to the LEE program. Throughout this program, the program guidelines have not been consistently applied and potential applicants have been provided with insufficient assistance to prove they can meet those guidelines. Conflicting advice has been given to applicants, and there is evidence that the departments have not been sufficiently resourced to properly certify and process LEE applications quickly when it mattered.
7.48
The committee’s interim report recommended that the Government commission a full and thorough review of the operation of the Afghan LEE program to analyse and appropriately address concerns raised in evidence to the committee and ensure that programs of this nature are improved.
7.49
The committee emphasises again the importance of this recommendation. A review of the LEE program needs to ensure transparent eligibility requirements, provide consistent advice and defined processing times for certification and visa processing, and secure sufficient departmental resourcing for future crises and ADF deployments.
Scope of Australia’s humanitarian intake from Afghanistan
7.50
The committee notes the Government’s announcement of 21 January 2022—incidentally, the same day the committee’s interim report was published—that at least 15,000 visa places over four years would be allocated to Afghan nationals, including 10,000 places within Australia’s existing Humanitarian Program and at least 5,000 visas within the Family stream. The Department of Home Affairs (Home Affairs) confirmed in evidence to the committee that at least 5,000 of the 10,000 announced humanitarian places would be allocated in the 2021–22 financial year.
7.51
Submitters and witnesses that gave evidence during this phase of the inquiry expressed strong disappointment at the Government’s announcement, stating that 10,000 humanitarian places over four years is entirely inadequate to match the scale of the humanitarian need in Afghanistan and will not deliver places in Australia with the urgency required.
7.52
The committee notes that as at February 2022, Home Affairs have stated there are over 100,000 humanitarian visa applications from Afghan nationals on hand, while only approximately 1,000 humanitarian visas have been granted to Afghan applicants since July 2021. Strict vetting of applicants is essential but should not unduly delay the granting of visas, particularly to Afghans who assisted the Australian military, diplomatic and humanitarian effort.
7.53
The committee heard from organisations advocating for vulnerable individuals in Afghanistan who are worried that the limited places available in Australia’s announced humanitarian intake will result in applicants who are at extreme risk nonetheless missing out on permanent protection in Australia.
7.54
It was noted that the majority of the humanitarian places available in this financial year will likely be taken up by individuals already in Australia on subclass 449 visas, meaning that people suffering in Afghanistan will find it more difficult to access places.
7.55
Further, concern was expressed that the Government’s announced places for Afghans are from within the existing humanitarian program, which would have the effect of displacing the availability of other eligible cohorts of applicants. The new imperative to accommodate humanitarian entrants from Ukraine in light of the appalling conflict taking place there emphasises this point.
7.56
Afghan advocacy groups, NGOs and faith-based groups reiterated to the committee their request for an additional, one-off intake of 20,000 individuals from Afghanistan, over and above Australia’s existing humanitarian program intake. Settlement service providers that gave evidence to the committee were of the unanimous view that there is sufficient capacity and capability to support an increased humanitarian intake from Afghanistan of this magnitude.
7.57
The committee formed the view that the Government should consider lifting the number of places over the 10,000 already announced, given: the number of Afghan citizens that assisted the Australian military, diplomatic and aid efforts and as a consequence of which are in danger; the scale and urgency of the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan; and Australia’s global reputation as nation with a significant humanitarian resettlement program.
7.58
Special humanitarian intakes have been a feature of Australia’s humanitarian program in the past, most recently in relation to 12,000 individuals resettled in Australia from Syria and Iraq as a result of crisis in that region. In recent days the Government has also flagged that a special allocation on top of the existing annual humanitarian intake is likely to be utilised to assist refugees fleeing the conflict in Ukraine. This in turn strengthens the case for a special, increased allocation to be made for those fleeing Afghanistan, who have been waiting for more than six months for such an announcement.
7.59
The committee had prepared a recommendation that the Australian Government consider increasing the number of humanitarian visa places available to Afghan nationals. However, at the time of finalising this report the committee notes the announcement as part of the budget on 29 March 2022 that the Government will allocate an additional 16,500 humanitarian places for Afghan nationals over the next four years, which is 4,125 each year. Officials have confirmed that these places are in addition to the 13,750 ceiling for the annual humanitarian program. The Minister for Immigration noted that ‘[i]n conjunction with previous announcements, this brings the total number of places available to Afghans across Australia’s Humanitarian and Migration Programs to 31,500 over the next four program years’. The committee welcomes this announcement.
Visa application processing and communication issues
7.60
During this phase of the inquiry, submitters and witnesses raised significant concerns about the timeframes and processes for humanitarian and other visa applications for individuals from Afghanistan, and about the communication to applicants from Home Affairs.
7.61
Despite Home Affairs initially telling the committee in November 2021 that it was aiming to provide initial receipts for all Afghan humanitarian visa applications by the end of 2021, the department subsequently told the committee that over 23,000 of these applications were still yet to be registered as at 5 January 2022. This has left thousands of applicants unsure as to whether any progress has been made on their applications.
7.62
The committee considers that Home Affairs must continue to increase the resourcing provided to teams processing visa applications for the Afghan cohort, and provide highest priority to finalising these applications. The Government’s recent announcement that humanitarian and other visa applicants from Ukraine will receive the highest processing priority within the existing program and resources, should not have the effect of displacing Afghans and other eligible cohorts of applicants. The committee agrees that applications from Ukraine need to be treated with urgent priority; however, this should not come at the cost of slowing the processing of applications from the Afghan intake. Rather, Home Affairs should urgently increase its processing capacity and resourcing so as to effectively deal with both crises with the urgency required.
7.63
The committee also heard a range of other concerns and suggestions from the Refugee Council of Australia and other stakeholders about how Home Affairs can improve its processes to assist applicants from Afghanistan. It is clear that many applicants are struggling in desperate circumstances and need as much clarity as can be provided.
7.64
The committee heard that, given the small number of places available relative to the number of humanitarian applications being received, it is of critical importance for Home Affairs to provide more detailed guidance on how humanitarian applications from Afghanistan will be prioritised, beyond the broad priority categories outlined in government announcements. Without this, it is impossible for applicants and prospective applicants to assess their potential likelihood of success, and the timeframes in which an outcome may be expected.
7.65
In relation to applicants in Australia currently on subclass 449 visas, Home Affairs must ensure that applicants are invited to apply for permanent visas as soon as possible, that application processes are streamlined (for example, by determining applications ‘on the papers’ where sufficient information has already been obtained without a formal applicant interview), subject to effective vetting procedures, and that applicants are given sufficient time to lodge their permanent visa applications once the ‘bar lift’ has occurred. While giving a 30-day notice period prior to the seven-day application window should in most cases allow sufficient time, Home Affairs must ensure that leniency is given where applicants require additional time or are unable to coordinate the required legal and other support to lodge their application within the standard timeframe.
7.66
Further, it was highlighted that individuals on subclass 449 visas in Australia who were separated from immediate family members during the evacuation and still have family in Afghanistan, are currently unable to include those family members in their permanent humanitarian visa applications unless those family members are also subclass 449 visa holders. This leaves family members of evacuees at risk potentially for years until multiple rounds of visa applications are determined. The committee considers that Home Affairs needs to identify any overseas split family members of evacuees in Australia, and grant those family members 449 visas as soon as practicable in order to facilitate permanent visa applications that ensure family unity.
7.67
The committee recommends that the Department of Home Affairs urgently improve its processes and communication in relation to Afghan visa applicants, including by:
urgently sending acknowledgments to all visa applicants from Afghanistan to assist with ongoing processing and communication;
publishing more detailed criteria and guidance about how humanitarian visas for the Afghan cohort will be prioritised, as well as expected average timeframes for visa applications to be assessed;
ensuring applicants on subclass 449 visas are given sufficient time and resources to lodge their permanent visa applications; and
issuing additional subclass 449 visas as necessary to overseas split family members of evacuees in Australia, to ensure family unity is preserved in permanent visa applications.
7.68
In relation to partner and family visa applications, the committee notes comments from Home Affairs that applications from Afghanistan in these streams will be prioritised for processing. Having received further evidence in this phase of the inquiry that many partner visa applicants have been waiting since well before the Taliban takeover to have their applications dealt with, the committee reiterates its earlier comments that family reunification for people still in Afghanistan must be afforded the highest priority.
7.69
Leniency must also be granted in relation to visa application processes, given it is nigh on impossible for visa applicants in Afghanistan to meet normal requirements for health checks, biometric checks, and so on under the current circumstances in the country. If there is insufficient flexibility in the current system to accommodate this, the Government should consider introducing a separate visa category for Afghan applicants to reduce these administrative barriers.
7.70
Further, the committee reiterates its earlier recommendation that, in light of the dire security and humanitarian situation in Afghanistan, Afghan nationals in Australia on temporary visas be afforded pathways to permanent settlement and family reunion.
Settlement programs and services for Afghan arrivals
7.71
During this phase of the inquiry, the committee took extensive evidence from the service providers who have supplied Humanitarian Settlement Program (HSP) support to over 5,000 evacuees from Afghanistan since August 2021.
7.72
The committee heard of the significant challenges associated with this intake, including difficulties arising from the short notice period, a lack of information available about persons arriving, and complications around eligibility for Commonwealth and state and territory services for people on subclass 449 visas. These challenges were compounded by the fact that evacuees in many cases arrived in Australia during COVID-19 lockdowns in a number of states and territories.
7.73
The committee heard that HSP providers were required to scale up their operations at very short notice, having had very little activity occurring over the previous 18 months during the pandemic. In many cases, service providers had decreased staffing levels significantly because of this lull, and then had to attempt to ramp up dramatically in August 2021 to assist with the Afghan cohort.
7.74
In this context, HSP providers and other bodies offering support performed a remarkable job in assisting Afghan evacuees with their initial period in Australia. HSP providers went above and beyond their normal requirements, putting in thousands of additional work hours on top of their paid duties under the HSP contract, in order to offer the supports that were required.
7.75
This experience highlights structural issues with the HSP program and contract that need to be addressed. The HSP’s use in emergency settlement contexts need to be clarified to assist in any future situations similar to the Afghanistan crisis. The committee notes Home Affairs’ evidence that lessons from the HSP program would be included in a review of the Australian Government Plan for the Reception of Australian Citizens and Approved Foreign Nationals Evacuated from Overseas (AUSRECEPLAN).
7.76
Further, stakeholders were clear that the fee-for-service model used in the HSP is unsustainable and unsuited to the variety of supports that are often required, particularly during an emergency evacuation situation. Steadier baseline funding to HSP providers is required to ensure that appropriate services are available when they are needed. Increased flexibility around the types of supports available under the HSP contract is also needed.
7.77
The committee considers that the Government needs to address these issues now, particularly as Australia’s humanitarian settlement program starts to gather pace again following decreased activity during the pandemic.
7.78
The committee recommends that the Australian Government conduct a review of the Humanitarian Settlement Program’s (HSP) structure and funding arrangements to provide greater operational stability for HSP providers and greater flexibility in the way services can be delivered during a crisis or emergency.
7.79
In addition to formal HSP services, there was an outpouring of support offered during the Afghanistan evacuation from local Afghan communities, businesses, community and faith-based groups, all of which has assisted evacuees in their early months in Australia. The committee considers that continuing to leverage community support for new refugee arrivals, including through the recently announced Community Refugee Integration and Settlement Pilot, will be crucial in delivering good settlement outcomes into the future.
7.80
The Government’s Afghan settlement support package funding has been welcomed, and the Government should continue to offer additional funding support over time as necessary. The committee heard that significant challenges remain for the Afghan evacuee cohort, including in relation to securing appropriate long-term housing, education, and the need for continued mental health support.
7.81
The committee considers that the Commonwealth Government, in conjunction with state and territory governments, the settlement sector and the community sector, must now undertake comprehensive strategic planning to ensure that the current Afghan cohort in Australia and future Afghan arrivals can settle and integrate into Australia as well as possible. This should include planning around what formal and community supports will require scaling up, as well as geographic planning about where new arrivals can be matched with appropriate jobs and training opportunities, particularly in areas experiencing skills shortages.
7.82
The committee recommends that the Australian Government enhances comprehensive settlement planning for the ongoing intake of Afghan refugees, in conjunction with the settlement services sector, relevant community groups, and state, territory and local governments.
Veterans’ support and wellbeing
7.83
Following the first round of submissions, the committee received very little evidence during this phase of the inquiry on how well veterans’ support programs are functioning, or updates on the wellbeing of veterans.
7.84
The one submission the committee did receive on this topic, however, did discuss the mental health impacts of serving in Afghanistan on veterans and Australian Defence Force (ADF) personnel, in particular in relation to issues relating to tactical and role clarity. The submission highlighted the hidden costs of Australia’s engagement in Afghanistan which it was argued would be compounded in years to come, as ADF personnel and veterans struggle with conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder. It also noted the continued angst that some veterans are feeling due to some of the Afghan interpreters who had worked with Australian forces being left behind.
7.85
The Department of Defence (Defence) advised that it has not needed to review or develop new supports and resources specifically relating to the withdrawal of Afghanistan, but that feedback has indicated that the current resources have been received positively, and were timely and of good quality. Furthermore, Defence noted an increase in support access levels specifically due to the Afghanistan withdrawal has not been observed.
7.86
Similarly, the Department of Veterans’ Affairs advised the committee that the initial surge in requests for support had settled and that no additional support had been required. However, it was noted that DVA was continuing to monitor for any emerging issues or requests for additional support and would respond to these accordingly.
7.87
The committee acknowledges the service and sacrifice of all ADF personnel and veterans who served in Afghanistan. The committee again reiterates, from its interim report, the importance of providing appropriate and ongoing support to veterans and their families.
Senator the Hon Eric Abetz
Deputy Chair