The Australian government granted temporary visas to 1,800 people in Israel and 860 people in Gaza through “normal processes” since the Israeli government declared war against Hamas following a deadly coordinated strike on Israeli civilians on Oct. 7.
The people applied for the visas to Australia between Oct. 7 and Nov. 20.
They went through “the usual security checks, the usual identity checks, the usual character checks,” Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong told ABC News Breakfast on Nov. 23.
However, it “does not mean that they are able to leave where they are,” she said.
“Border crossings have not been opened fully ... The situation on the ground is still very difficult,” she explained.
When asked if the visas would allow them access to work or education, she responded, “The visa conditions will be the same as those for people coming to Australia from other parts of the world.”
Related Stories
Further, she dodged the question: “Can you rule out any connections to Hamas?
“Just as not everybody from Afghanistan is linked with the Taliban, not everybody who is Palestinian is a member of a terrorist organisation,” was her response.
She added the government’s priority is Australian citizens, permanent residents and their immediate families.
It spent weeks getting some 127 Australian citizens, permanent residents and their immediate families out of Gaza. Sixty-nine remain.
“In a situation like this, we do have to prioritise, and those have been the operational priorities we put in place,” she said.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese backed the visas, saying a few weeks were enough for “an appropriate visa system and security system.”
However, the Opposition isn’t convinced.
In this photograph taken near the Israeli border with the Gaza Strip, destroyed buildings of Beit Hanoun in Northern Gaza are seen, from Sedorot, Israel, on Nov. 16, 2023. Christopher Furlong/Getty Images
Opposition Urges Rigorous Evaluation of Visa Approvals
Shadow Homes Affairs spokesman James Paterson stressed the importance of carefully reviewing the visas.“In particular, to make sure that all of the usual security checks and processes were followed, and that no corners were cut, and nothing was rushed in the granting of these visas,” Mr. Paterson told Sky News Australia.
He was concerned that they were granted in just a few short weeks.
“Because 860 visas in a six-week period in a conflict zone in which the Australian government has no presence on the ground is a very large number of visas in a very short period of time.”
Therefore, he called for the government to offer more comfort to its people.
“I am looking for reassurance... that no corners have been cut in granting of those visas.”
Meanwhile, Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Birmingham weighed in about the quick processing time.
“When you see a very large number of visas potentially processed in a very short period of time, it’s reasonable for my colleague James Paterson and others ... to make sure that all of the appropriate security checks and balances have been undertaken to ensure the safety, security and well-being of Australians,” he told Sky News Australia.
Still, he said, “It’s understandable that people would want to get Australian visas.”
“This has been a tragic time and a devastating time from Oct. 7 for Israelis, but of course also for many Palestinian families and the difficulties that they are facing.”
‘What’s Their Issue’: Labor Fires Back
In response, Industry Minister Ed Husic said the Coalition had a problem with “helping people out in dire need.”“Are they [the Coalition] really saying that they don’t want Australian Palestinians who are deeply concerned about the fate of their families, or those people in Gaza, to be put out of harm’s way?” he told Sky News Australia
“I don’t understand why the Coalition would have a problem with us, like the rest of the International community, chipping in to get people out.”
He argued they should be questioned for their stance.
Further, he refuted the Coalition’s criticism of the visa process.
“The Coalition, having served in office, knows the type of processes that are used to vet and clear the way in which people apply for visas. So they know it. So what’s their issue?”
A protester holds a placard showing a Palestinian flag alongside a flag of Artsakh (the Armenian name for Nagorno-Karabakh) as students participate in a "Walkout to fight Genocide and Free Palestine" at Bruin Plaza at UCLA (University of California, Los Angeles) in Los Angeles on October 25, 2023. Thousands of people, both Israeli and Palestinians have died since October 7, 2023, after Palestinian Hamas militants based in the Gaza Strip, entered southern Israel in a surprise attack leading Israel to declare war on Hamas in Gaza the following day. (Photo by Frederic J. BROWN / AFP) Photo by FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images
