Tag Archives: oceania

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Thousands of refugees seeking permanent visas still living in uncertainty

More than 30,000 refugees living in Australia are still on various temporary visas, limiting their ability to work, study, reunite with their loved ones and create stable lifestyles. 

History repeated itself in Afghanistan after the Taliban returned to power in 2021, forcing thousands of Afghans, majority belonging to ethnic Hazaras, to dangerously flee their country in order to escape the looming genocide under the group's regime.

Sajeda Zaki, a Hazara woman and law student at Victoria University, told 9news.com.au she arrived in Australia after leaving Pakistan with her mother and five siblings in 2016, reluctant to abandon her previous life and Hazaragi culture.

READ MORE: Teen's sadness despite Afghanistan escape

Sajeda Zaki (right), pictured here with her mother and father.

Her father was smuggled into Australia on a ship in 2009, where "all he could see was black ocean onboard a giant ship with hundreds of other terrified people", fleeing Afghanistan to establish a better life for a family he would not see for seven years.

"Dad always tells me he came by boat for us, to have a better future for his children, even though he was told there was only a one-in-100 chance of surviving the trip to Australia," Zaki said.

After being "overwhelmed by unhappiness" seeing people on temporary protection visas (TPVs) suffering mentally, Zaki began working with the Victorian Afghan Youth Association (VAYA) to communicate for refugees and rally for action to be taken by the Australian Government. 

"I have a lot of friends who are on temporary visas and they suffer emotionally and mentally from not being able to reconnect with their families or build a permanent life in Australia," she said.

READ MORE: Despair and poverty fuel drug use in Afghanistan

Once Zaki was reunited with her father in 2016, she realised the importance of reuniting displaced people with their families.

She now assists individuals with filling out their paperwork to apply for permanent visas and citizenships. 

"There are a lot of people who aren't healthy, living in constant uncertainty and we are not seeing results from the government who are meant to be improving the rate of permanent visa processing," she said. 

"I want the people of Australia to know that refugees have the same emotions, dreams and plans as you do, the only differences are that we weren't born here and that English isn't our first language."

'Psychological damages' from temporary visas

Asylum seekers who arrive in Australia irregularly, either by boat or plane and without a valid visa, are not counted in the government's permanent Humanitarian Program and are not granted a permanent visa. 

Under changes made to the Migration Act 1958 by the Abbott Government in 2014, refugees are granted one of two temporary visas – a three-year temporary protection visa (TPV) or a five-year safe haven enterprise visa (SHEV).  

READ MORE: Hurricane Ian makes destructive landfall in Florida

In both cases, individuals holding temporary visas have to wait in uncertainty for at least three years before being allowed to re-lodge another application for protection at the end of their visa period.

Former Policy Officer with the Refugee Council of Australia (RCOA) and lawyer Shukufa Tahiri advocates for the human rights of refugees.

She told 9news.com.au the uncertainty of being on a temporary visa causes all sorts of "psychological damages" for already traumatised individuals. 

"One of the key policy platforms from the Labor government during the last election was to grant permanent residency to current TPV holders, a commitment which they now need to honour," Tahiri said. 

"Thousands of individuals have held temporary visas for over 10 years and the uncertainty of remaining in limbo has meant extended trauma that should have been prevented many years ago."

TPV and SHEV holders cannot travel outside of Australia to reunite with their families in developing countries, have limited access to state benefits such as Centrelink and Medicare, no access to emergency housing and limited ability to attend English classes or translation services. 

Australia's offshore resettlement component of the Humanitarian Program includes people who are proposed for resettlement by someone already living in Australia, usually a relative, which is one of the only pathways for separated families to reunite and settle in Australia. 

Federal government urged to improve permanent visa processing

The Albanese government has stated processing the backlog of visa applications is an "urgent priority", with those who have been waiting for permanent visas for years pleading for certainty.

Minister for Immigration, Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs Andrew Giles said in June the department was working through large numbers of older cases but noted reducing the backlog couldn't happen overnight.

READ MORE: 'Trash patch' the size of Queensland floating off shore

"The number of applications received in June 2022 is 6.5 per cent higher than May 2022 – over the same period, there was a 10.6 per cent increase in applications finalised," Giles said.

"The former government devalued immigration, with the visa application backlog increasing to nearly 1,000,000 on their watch.

"The Albanese government is determined to reduce the backlog and restore the importance of the immigration function of our government."

Tahiri is asking for more empathy from the government to reunite families through extended Humanitarian Programs, but admits not everyone seeking asylum will gain permanent protection right away. 

"Our community is not saying that Australia is in a position to save everyone, but for people who are here, who have worked and lived in this community for 10 years and who have proven to be very valuable members of society, we need to give them permanency," she said.

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Freezing weather, mud and more suffering: The Ukraine war in winter

The looming winter in Ukraine will pose new challenges for military commanders of both sides, while the conflict's impacts continue to be felt beyond the battlefield.

Rainy autumnal weather is already bringing muddy conditions that are starting to limit the mobility of tanks and other heavy weapons, experts say.

But in the coming months there will also be temperatures dropping as low as -20 degrees, snow falls and shortening daylight for generals to contend with.

READ MORE: Russia drafting retirees into army, telling conscripts to buy their own supplies

Armies limited by snow and mud

Defence analyst Malcolm Davis, of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, told 9news.com.au these factors will make the conflict more static.

"The winter weather will basically bring the war to a standstill … both sides will be digging in until about late February when the thaw begins," he said.

While tanks and other armoured vehicles will be harder to deploy in the mud and snow, other equipment such as military-grade drones will be largely unaffected.

The advantage on the battlefield remains with Ukraine forces after their counteroffensive, launched in late August, has rolled back the Russian occupation across large areas of the northeast.

Western supplied weapons have proved crucial in Ukraine's military successes.

A standout has been the US-supplied HIMARS multiple rocket launchers have been able to accurately pound strategic targets such as bridges as well as targeting Russian positions up to 80km away.

READ MORE: Leaks on Russian gas pipelines raise concerns about sabotage

Davis said the challenge for European countries during the coming months is to continue the flow of weapons to Ukraine.

"They recognise that if Russia somehow does succeed in Ukraine, then the threat will come back to haunt them elsewhere potentially in the Baltic states or against Poland," he said.

"For the Europeans, the best path is to stay firm with the Americans and with the Ukrainians and continue to supply those weapons to Ukraine to ensure a quick defeat of Russian forces."

But for Russia's military, the harsher winter conditions in Ukraine will be a stern test after its forces were pushed back by lightning Ukrainian offensives.

Russian commanders are already struggling with equipment losses, mounting casualties and weakening morale.

There are also social media reports Russian soldiers are lacking effective winter military clothing.

READ MORE: 'Extraordinary' scenes as massive storm lands in Florida

The Kremlin plans to add 300,000 soldiers to its invasion force after it issued a partial military mobilisation of reservists earlier this month.

But it has sparked outraged protests, a fearful exodus and acts of violence against military recruiters across the vast country.

And there is doubt over the quality of any new wave of Russian conscripts and the equipment they have been given.

Some reports this week said they were being issued wit pre-World War II rifles to face the well equipped and motivated Ukrainian army.

Russia is also set to target Ukraine's electrical infrastructure, as the Kremlin seeks to ramp up the pressure on civilians already suffering after seven months of fighting.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned that this winter "will be very difficult".

"They will shoot missiles, and they will target our electric grid," he said.

Weaponising gas supplies

It's long been evident that part of the Kremlin's strategy is to knee-cap European resolve in supporting Ukraine by plunging it into an energy crisis, literally turning off the gas taps.

At a forum in Vladivostok earlier this month, Russian President Vladimir Putin said: "We will not supply anything at all if it is contrary to our interests. No gas, no oil, no coal, no fuel oil, nothing."

Davis said after battlefield defeats, Putin is desperate to see western support for Ukraine crumble as the costs of war, including energy shortages and rising prices, begin to hit home in Europe.

But the coming winter will be the acid test of Moscow's energy squeeze.

Rather than looking for compromise, European governments have concluded that concessions would only embolden the Kremlin.

"I think that Europe recognises the threat that Russia poses now … and that Putin has to be defeated or the threat will come back to haunt them, perhaps in the Baltic or Poland," Davis said.



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Tradies perform citizen's arrest after Toyota Hilux allegedly stolen

A joyride across Brisbane in an allegedly stolen ute has ended in a citizen's arrest.

A group of tradies chased down two teenagers in the suburb of Manly West this morning after their Toyota Hilux went missing.

The chase stopped in a suburban street, where one of the teens ran down a footpath, while the other remained in the car.

READ MORE: Here's your October long weekend weather forecast

A joyride across Brisbane in an allegedly stolen ute has ended in a citizen's arrest.

The tradies blocked the ute with one of their cars, as the teenager locked himself inside.

Residents in the street said they were woken by commotion and yelling.

Police arrived at the scene a short time after.

It is understood the teenager who ran down the footpath was taken to the police station by his parents.

Both teenagers are now being questioned by officers.