Dean Smith (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Senator Payne. Can the minister update the Senate on the evacuation operation in Kabul?

Marise Payne (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Smith for his question. So far we have evacuated approximately 4,000 people—Australian citizens, permanent residents, visa holders and others—on 29 flights over the past eight days. I offer my profound thanks to the many Australian officials who have worked and are working on this operation, particularly my own Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the Department of Home Affairs and Defence. Our cooperation with other countries, including New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States, has been vital in achieving this outcome, and we thank our partners for that important cooperation. Last night and this morning we evacuated around 1,200 people from Kabul on six ADF flights and one NZDF flight. I can also confirm that since 18 August we have brought 639 evacuees back to Australia, following a flight into Brisbane early this morning carrying 220 people. This has followed previous flights to Perth, Melbourne and Adelaide.

To those Afghans who've already arrived in Australia, we say welcome back to the Australians and permanent residents and welcome to your new home to our visa holders. To those soon to travel here, we look forward to your arrival. We can only imagine the challenges that you have been dealing with in recent times. We thank the states and territories for their support in this important evacuation. As I said, we understand this is an extremely distressing time for Australians in Kabul and others, such as visa holders and visa applicants. For those in Australia who still have family and friends in Afghanistan, we do understand that distress. We are fully aligned with our international partners to insist that the Taliban hold to international standards of human rights and protections. We do remain focused on the safe evacuation from Afghanistan of as many Australians and visa holders as possible for as long as possible.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Smith, a supplementary question?

Dean Smith (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Can the minister update the Senate on the changes to Australia's travel advice to Afghanistan?

Marise Payne (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The security situation in Kabul was already dangerous and volatile and it has deteriorated further. Early this morning we changed our travel advice. For Australians and Australian visa holders in Afghanistan, the new advice is: do not travel to Hamid Karzai International Airport. It is not safe to do so. If you are in the immediate area of the airport, leave now and move to a safe location to await further advice. There is the potential for violence and security threats with large crowds. There is an ongoing and very high threat of terrorist attack.

Our partners, including New Zealand and the UK, have taken similar steps to our own, and others, including the US and Canada, have amended their travel advice equivalents. The government's priority throughout this operation has been the safety of Australians, their families and visa holders, and that remains the case.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Smith, a final supplementary question?

Dean Smith (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Can the minister update the Senate on the government's continued support for Australians and visa holders in Afghanistan?

Marise Payne (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Australian government notes the Taliban has made undertakings about foreign nationals seeking to leave Afghanistan. We continue to seek that they observe those undertakings, including to uphold human rights and to allow our citizens and Australian visa holders to depart safely if they wish to do so.

For Australians who remain in Afghanistan: please register with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade if you have not done so already. The Department of Home Affairs will proactively contact those who have been granted temporary safe haven (subclass 449) visas but remain in Afghanistan, with advice about what they should do when it is safe. We will continue to process visa applications from Afghans seeking protection. The government will work with the International Organization for Migration, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Afghan community leaders in Australia and leading refugee advocates and service providers to welcome people from Afghanistan.