Former Afghan interpreters have rallied outside Parliament House to issue a plea for greater urgency from the Australian government to protect those at risk of persecution in Afghanistan.
The contingent of protestors chanted “save our lives” and “don’t abandon us” as they demanded faster action to grant protection to those who served with Australian troops and their families.
Raz Mohammad - a former interpreter and president of the Afghan National Association of Australia - told SBS News the group had risked their families' lives to help Australia and they deserved protection.
“They need to do more, they need to take immediate action, issue the visas to our family members now,” he said.
"We have risked much including our lives and our families lives."
The federal government has promised at least 15,000 places to Afghan nationals through the humanitarian and family visa program over four years, in response to the Taliban’s takeover.
Raz Mohammad attended the protest alongside other former Afghan interpreters to serve with Australian troops. Source: AAP
The commitment was increased to this level in January this year, after an initial promise of 3,000 humanitarian places made amid the height of the evacuation mission last August.
But progress on the program has been sluggish as department officials work through applications on behalf of some 145,000 people seeking protection.
Mr Mohammad said family members still in Afghanistan feared reprisal attacks from the Taliban, due to their connection to Australia’s mission in the country.
"They need to step forward and support our family and bring them here," he said.
“We are going through [a] tremendous amount of stress here."
A recent UN report seen by Reuters warned that the Taliban and its allies are believed to have killed scores of former Afghan officials, security force members and people who worked with the international military contingent since the US-led pullout from Afghanistan. 
The Australian government has described its visa commitment as a “floor, not a ceiling”, but has faced criticism from advocates for the pledge remaining part of the existing quota of the visa programs.
Afghan community members hold signs at the rally. Source: SBS News
Immigration Minister Alex Hawke has said the government is giving priority consideration to former Locally Engaged Employees (LEES) and their immediate families.
Those considered to have “enduring links” to Australia, such as those who worked with non-government organisations and government-funded projects and their family will also be given priority consideration.
The government says it will also prioritise protection for women and girls, ethnic minorities, LGBTIQ+ and other identified minority groups.
Mr Hawke has said this recognises the “dangerous and volatile” nature of the situation in Afghanistan, those “at greatest risk” as well as the “exceptional contributions” made to the Australian mission.
Protesters on the lawns outside Parliament House. Source: SBS News
Since evacuations from Kabul started in August, more than 4,300 Afghan evacuees have been brought to Australia.
Sulwin Leech - a former Australian army officer deployed to Afghanistan in 2011 - was among those who attended the protest in Canberra on Monday.
He said more resources needed to be diverted towards Afghan interpreters trying to help family members navigate the complexities of the bureaucratic visa system.
Former interpreter Wali Zada. Source: SBS News
“There is no hotline these guys can call - there is no language support,” he told SBS News.
“[This] is an appalling slight on our national character that these guys who helped us so much we’ve left them in the lurch and essentially relying on a bureaucratic process.” 
A delegation of faith leaders, members of the Afghanistan-Australian Advocacy Network, and veterans on Monday also renewed calls for the government to offer more Afghan refugees safety, warning 15,000 over four years is not a proportionate response to the humanitarian crisis, nor in line with Australian community expectations.
Sulwin Leech is a former Australian Defence Force member who attended the protest. Source: SBS News
The delegation intends to meet with politicians in Canberra, including Mr Hawke, this week.
Wali Zada - another former interpreter - said he was “disappointed” the group had been forced to protest to bring attention to the pace of the Australian government's response.
“We tried our best - we supported the Australian forces on the ground - now is the time for the Australian government to show action and assist us further,” he said.
Department of Home Affairs official David Wilden later told a Senate estimates hearing so far just over 1,000 visas had already been granted for Afghan nationals as part of the Australian government's response.
