By Cam Lucadou-Wells
South-East families have had their fears for loved ones in Afghanistan further rocked by terror bomb blasts outside Kabul International Airport.
The Australian evacuation mission ended hours before the bombings killed nearly 200 people at the airport’s gate on 27 August including 13 US troops and locals desperately trying to flee the Taliban-run country.
Barat Batoor, from the 16,000-strong Hazara diaspora in the South East, was shattered by the violence. But he expected it since the US negotiated to withdraw from Afghanistan, paving the way for a Taliban takeover.
Islamic State had taken responsibility for the attacks. They and the Taliban were enemies but “two sides of the same coin”.
“It’s the same ruthless Taliban, the same ruthless ideology who believe in violence, torture and killing, which are not in line with 21st-century values.
“I believe if they do change, their ideology will collapse.”
Mr Batoor, a photo-journalist who fled for his life from Afghanistan in 2012, works as an organiser for Asylum Seeker Resource Centre.
The Taliban’s true colours were already emerging ahead of the 31 August deadline for the US withdrawal, he says.
He’d seen footage and reports of the Taliban beating and preventing Hazaras from reaching the airport due to their ethnicity.
Others in fear of retribution for working for foreign powers and the UN have been stopped at Taliban check-points and “disappeared”.
Despite warnings of terror attacks, many were desperately braving the trip to the airport or fleeing to the Pakistan border.
“It is like welcoming death if they go to the airport.
“People are not knowing what to do. Things will get worse and people will suffer. It’s an uncertain situation.”
Mr Batoor reiterated the call for the Government to boost its humanitarian visa offer from 3,000 to 20,000 places.
He also called for permanent protection and family reunion visas to Hazara asylum seekers in Australia, who have had the threat of deportation hanging over their heads for up to a decade.
On 27 August, Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced 4100 had been evacuated as part of the Australian mission from “one of the most dangerous places on Earth”.
They included more than 3200 Australians and Afghan visa holders for Australia, he said.
Foreign states had airlifted a total of 70,000 at that point.
“Australia’s operations now for the evacuation have been completed.
“We were able to ensure the departure of the remaining Australian personnel over the course of last night, not that long before the terrible events that unfolded last night took place.”
Mr Morrison condemned the “evil”, “calculated” and “inhuman” attacks on the “innocent” and “brave” at Kabul airport.
The US troops had fallen in a “very worthy cause”. “These brave young Americans stood at that gate to protect life, to save life but lost their own in providing a pathway to freedom for others.”
Foreign Minister Marise Payne said it was a “very distressing situation for Australians still in Kabul, for people with visas, and for family and friends who are here in Australia”.
“Our new travel advice says Australian evacuation flights from Kabul have ceased.”
