Demand the Australian Government provide Humanitarian VISA's to Palestinians fleeing bombardment.

This week the Australian Home Affairs office confirmed, under the direct questioning of Senator David Pocock that no Humanitarian visa's have been/or currently will be, offered to Palestinians fleeing Palestine. NONE.

This is an astounding admission. And so begs the question. How is this possible?

By contrast for Ukraine 4877 humanitarian visa's were provided by the Australian Government. For Afganistan, over 5000, many of these provided with speed.

For Palestinians - the deeply inadequate, short stay tourist visas are the only option provided by the Australian Government, and even those are more likely than not to be rejected, for reasons including that Palestinian applicants "can't demonstrate stable employment"?

With 75% of Gazan's displaced (many for up to the 8th time) as a consequence of indiscriminate bombing and their homes destroyed, with 5% of its water and sanitation output in tact, with 100% of universities destroyed, with 100% of children out of school, and with 84% of Health Facilities Damaged (UN: Gaza Interim Damage Report) NO ONE has stable employment in Gaza, and mass starvation imminent.

These rationales for rejection are as infuriating as they are distressing. As a working class Australian the idea that our Government is actively seeking to specifically exclude Palestinians makes me feel deeply ashamed of the cowardice of our leadership and its values. It also makes me miss Bob Hawke, a labor leader who would turn in his grave over Palestine. As would Malcolm Frazer for that matter.

Terrifyingly the stats above were as at the end of January 2024.

Terrifyingly it is only going to get worse for Palestinians while our Government continues to sit on its hands while tens of thousands of innocent people continue to be slaughtered in an occupied territory they have been held hostage in since 2009.

We ask that Australian Government revise its decision and provide humanitarian visas appropriate to the humanitarian need in Palestine. A conflict that has been reported by the UN as "the deadliest armed conflict ever in the 21st century"* and one that has killed 36,743 human beings, with another 10,000 Palestinians under the rubble and 81,777 Palestinians injured.


*based on the daily death tolls pro rata.