The Age reported that the Australian government, after just changing the members of the government,
There's a big move!
In the changing arena of global politics, the conflict in Gaza looms over the heads of Palestinian refugees like a persistent haze.
The smoke of war has not only destroyed their homes, but also deprived them of their right to pursue a peaceful life.
In the face of this dire humanitarian crisis, the international community has reached out to help, and the latest decision of the Australia government has brought a ray of hope to Palestinian refugees.
In Australia, many Palestine refugees have long relied on temporary visitor visas to survive.
The limitations of this visa are obvious: not being able to work means they can't support themselves, and not having access to health care such as Medicare leaves them isolated if they get sick.
To make matters worse, the visa application also requires them to prove their intention to return to war-torn Gaza, which is undoubtedly a great test of their will to live.
Therefore, the Australian Labor government has struck!
The Albanese government is prepared to take a major step to allow Palestinian refugees to remain in Australia permanently and avoid repatriation. At the same time, the Liberal Party has made clear its support for Israel and warned of the risks that bringing in refugees could bring.
According to sources,
The Labour government will be for the Palestinians
Establishment of a new special visa route,
Palestinians are allowed to apply for this permanent green card!
There is no threshold, background money and technology are not required...
The move would reignite the debate between Labour and the League over Palestine.
This follows months-long lobbying by refugee advocates that refugees fleeing Gaza are unable to work or access Medicare on temporary visitor visas, making it difficult for them to make ends meet.
While Labor discussed the details of humanitarian visas, Liberal leader Dutton reaffirmed his support for Israel in a meeting with Israel's prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu.
(Image source: The Times)
Netanyahu is facing pressure from Australia, United States, United Kingdom, Canada and New Zealand to immediately end the fighting in Gaza.
Dutton's statement exacerbated the divide between the League and Labour on this issue. Earlier, the Labor Party also summoned the Israel ambassador to warn of the consequences of a war with Lebanon Allah militants.
According to the report, this special visa for Palestinian refugees will be one of the first policies announced by the new Minister of Immigration and Home Affairs, Tony Burke, after taking office.
It is reported that about 1,300 Palestinians in Australia will be the first to benefit, and there will undoubtedly be more in the future...
The Coalition has warned that refugees sympathetic to Palestinian Hamas or Lebanon Allah could pose risks.
(Image source: The Times)
The former coalition government issued more than 500 visas a week to Syria fleeing war-torn countries, for a total of more than 12,500 permanent visas.
When the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan in August 2021, the government also approved 5,000 temporary visas for Afghanistan.
In last week's cabinet reshuffle, Burke took over the positions of Home Secretary and Immigration Minister. Prior to this, discussions on the issuance of permanent visas to Palestine refugees had been going on for weeks.
While the Greens support bringing in more refugees, human rights groups have lobbied to improve the situation of those in Australia, where it is difficult to evacuate people from Gaza.
Rasha Abbas, founder of the Australian Rescue and Action Foundation for Palestine, said Australia has an honorable record of responding to humanitarian crises. Resource centres for asylum seekers and other agencies are helping dozens of Palestinian families afford food and heating.
Sanmati Verma, legal director at the Human Rights Law Centre, said Palestinians could only apply for visitor visas, meaning they could become undocumented migrants when their visas expired.
After the release of this initiative, the Australian Chinese community condemned it one after another!
Why such a reaction?
Palestine refugees, who had just been granted refugee visas, liked the sensitive post.
Zahar Abuamro, 21, reportedly liked a post in celebration of a Palestinian march in the streets after receiving a refugee signature from Australia. The date was October 7, the day of the terrorist attack by Hamas.
In addition, he liked another post in which Israel and members of the Hamas militants were together.
Zahar Abuamro also launched a crowdfunding page asking for donations to help his father move out of Gaza safely and quickly.
There is no doubt that his actions have created a safety hazard for the future life of the Australian community.
After all, will there be people who support terrorism among refugees who have been granted permanent residence? No one can tell...
Social repercussions and support from human rights organizations
The promulgation of the new policy immediately aroused widespread attention and enthusiastic responses from all walks of life.
Human rights groups and refugee support groups welcomed and supported the decision, which they saw as a reflection of the Australia Government's positive attitude and responsibility to the humanitarian crisis.
They pledged to continue to provide help and support to Palestine refugees to ensure their smooth integration into Australian society.
Divide between Labour and the Coalition
However, the implementation of the new policy has not been without its challenges. As a result, there was a clear divide between the Labour government and the Coalition.
The leader of the coalition, Peter · Dutton, expressed strong dissatisfaction and concern about this during his visit to Israel.
He believes the new visa policy could pose a security risk and accuses the Labour government of not being cautious enough in its visa vetting.
He stressed that the government should focus more on national security rather than simply pursuing social justice.
To a certain extent, this political disagreement has affected the promotion and implementation of the new policy.
But it is worth noting that despite the controversy and opposition, the Australia government has firmly pushed forward with the implementation of the new policy.
This is a testament to the Government's determination and courage in dealing with the refugee issue.
Approval efficiency and disputes coexist
The rapid approval process of the new policy has also aroused widespread concern and discussion in the society.
According to the Deputy Minister of Immigration, Michael Willard, the average processing time for refugee visas for Palestine refugees is only 24 hours, and some visas are even approved within an hour.
This efficient handling has been appreciated and affirmed by many people.
However, opposition parties and some members of society have also questioned and criticized this.
They believe that the government's inability to conduct the necessary and detailed background checks on applicants in such a short period of time may be a safety hazard.
In addition, some Palestinian applicants who have just been granted refugee visas have been exposed to liking sensitive content, which has also sparked social concern and controversy.
Despite the controversy and challenges, the Australia Government's decision to open a special visa route for Palestine refugees is undoubtedly an important and humanitarian step.
What do you think about this?