Australia looks to expedite visa applications from Türkiye and Syria following earthquake disaster

Many Australians with family in Türkiye and Syria will be keen for their relative's visa applications to be processed quickly after the earthquake earlier this month.

The earthquake has displaced many people in Türkiye and Syria and worsened existing humanitarian issues in Syria. Source: Getty / Anadolu Agency

Key Points

• The government is considering expediting visa applications from those in earthquake-devastated Türkiye and Syria.
• Millions of people need humanitarian aid following the natural disaster.
• A government spokesperson said such action would be taken on a “case by case basis".

The federal government is investigating how it may be able to speed up the visa process for those looking to come to Australia from earthquake-devastated areas in Türkiye and Syria.

More than 41,000 people have died as a result of the magnitude 7.8 earthquake that struck eleven days ago.

It is unknown how many people are missing but millions are in need of humanitarian aid, with many survivors left homeless in near-freezing temperatures, while aftershocks continue to be felt.

Australia is looking at how it can expedite visa applications from those impacted by the devastating earthquake in Türkiye and Syria. Source: Getty / picture alliance

According to information obtained by SBS Turkish, the Department of Home Affairs is considering expediting visas from those in the region.

A departmental spokesperson said such action would be taken on a “case by case basis for people affected by the earthquakes.”

While they said processing times varied depending on the type of visa and the applicant’s circumstances, they said “Visa applications with compassionate and compelling circumstances are prioritised for decision.”

The spokesperson said all visa applicants must still meet the requirements of the migration legislation, which included "rigorous assessment" and security checks.

There was no mention of any further increase to Australia’s migration cap, which in September 2022, was raised by 35,000 spots to 195,000.

A portion of those are considered humanitarian visas for which people affected by the earthquake may choose to apply.

People from affected areas who are already in Australia and unable to return home are also able to apply to extend their stay temporarily.

The aid effort in the northwest of Syria has been hampered by the conflict and many people there feel abandoned as aid heads to other parts of the sprawling disaster zone.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) said on Wednesday it was particularly concerned by the welfare of people in that area, where some four million people were already dependent on humanitarian aid before the earthquake struck.

Aid deliveries from Turkey were cut completely in the immediate aftermath of the earthquake, when a route used by the United Nations was temporarily blocked.

- Additional reporting by AAP