As the crisis in Afghanistan deepens following the Taliban’s capture of Kabul, the federal government is preparing to evacuate more former Locally Engaged Employees (LEEs) who worked with the Australian Defence Force (ADF) during the decades-long conflict.
SBS Pashto has spoken to former interpreter Khalid* who received an email on Wednesday stating he was "eligible" for certification under the federal government’s resettlement program for at-risk Afghans.
Previously, once certification was obtained, the at-risk former employee was encouraged to apply for asylum through the Department of Home Affairs, a process that could take years to resolve.
However, the email obtained by SBS Pashto urged Khalid to provide information, including telephone contact details and immediate family members, and to send them back “as quickly as possible” and within three days.
The message continues by listing the documents that he must provide “when requested to come to the airport to travel to Australia”, including a “visa grant letter, which will be emailed”.
The email in three sequences sent to Khalid by the Australian government. Source: SBS Pashto
It comes as dozens of on Wednesday.
Khalid's email approval came after he lodged his certification application in 2015, and after his first appeal in 2014 was rejected.
"It's 2:20am in Afghanistan and the people are asleep but I am still awake and feeling happy," says Khalid, who worked alongside Australian forces in the Afghan province of Uruzgan between 2009 and 2010.
"I thank the government of Australia. Australia will be my home like Afghanistan, and I am happy to serve that country."
SBS Pashto knows of at least four interpreters who had either received their Australian visas or been deemed eligible for settlement since the Taliban captured Kabul.
It is still not known when their evacuation flight will be organised.
Khalid is currently staying in a nearby province and hopes to travel to Kabul for his flight, though he says he's still in "extreme danger".
"The Taliban have no mercy for anyone because they consider the interpreters who worked with coalition forces as spies," he says.
"Presently I am hiding and do not want to go outside."
Khalid with his family at the back of a car while moving houses before the Taliban entered Jalalabad city, the capital of Nangarhar. Source: SBS Pashto
On Wednesday, Immigration Minister Alex Hawke announced that an initial 3000 humanitarian places will be allocated to Afghan nationals within Australia’s 13,750 annual program.
“These 3000 humanitarian places come on top of the 8,500 Afghans Australia has already successfully resettled since 2013 via our existing humanitarian program,” Minister Hawke said.
“The government anticipates this initial allocation will increase further over the course of this year.
“And for those that will come here under this program, Australia has a highly successful humanitarian resettlement program which will assist all Afghan refugees to succeed in their new lives in Australia."
The news comes after a spokesperson from the Department of Home Affairs told SBS Dari that since 2013, over 1800 Afghan LEEs and their eligible family members have been granted visas.
“Since 15 April 2021, over 570 people in Afghanistan have been granted a visa under the Afghan LEE program (including family members)," the spokesperson said on Monday while confirming that there were 50 applications on hand and being processed.
Former interpreter Taj Wali* is awaiting news on his application, lodged in 2017, after working alongside Australian forces in Kandahar and Uruzgan between 2011 and 2012.
He says he's "extremely worried" for his safety in Afghanistan, and made his way to Kabul airport on Monday with hopes of boarding an Australian evacuation flight.
"Nobody has told me about going abroad, I went to [Kabul airport] just to save my life because the only place where there were no Taliban was at the airport," he said.
"The world saw that too many Afghans were trying to go outside [of Afghanistan] that was just because of the insecurities, no one feels safe."
He's calling on the Australian government to provide more information on requests made by former LEEs to leave the country.
"The conditions are getting worst for the people who have worked with Australians or other foreign forces.
"If they could help me go out of here [Afghanistan] as soon as possible, I would be thankful."
* Name withheld for safety reasons
