Chris Bowen (McMahon, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Climate Change and Energy) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

[by video link] I'm sure all Australians have watched in horror the recent events in Afghanistan. They are terrible for every single resident of Afghanistan, but they are particularly terrible for minorities in Afghanistan, and today I want to talk in particular of the Hazara community. Members of the Hazara community in Afghanistan have been oppressed for many, many decades, but they were starting to turn the corner—to take on education and to take on roles in the government and in the military. All that has ended with the return of the Taliban.

Of course, there is a Hazara community here in Australia. I was very honoured to meet with some leaders of the Hazara community last week, led by Reza Rayan and members of the Kateb Hazara community. They have asked to be remembered to the Australian parliament, as they should be. Of course, we are practically limited in what support we can provide; everybody understands that. But one thing we can do for Hazaras in Australia is remove them from temporary protection visas. Does anybody in the Morrison government seriously argue that they will be returning people to Afghanistan at any point in the future, whether they be Hazaras or other refugees? They cannot argue that; they cannot make that point. Therefore, people who are found to be refugees should be taken off temporary protection visas and given permanent residency. That is a practical step that can be taken today to support members of the Hazara community and other members of the Afghan community in Australia. It should be done. (Time expired)