By Sahar Foladi
The Afghan Locally Engaged Employee (LEE) Alliance has embarked on a 700 km walk to Canberra from Dandenong’s Harmony Square in a remarkable call to action on Thursday 20 July.
Afghan LEE includes interpreters, contractors, partner organisations and even drivers who worked or assisted with the diplomatic and military missions of Australia.
Afghan LEE alliance president, Qutbiallam Timor said the walk is to advocate bringing those LEE extended families to safety in Australia who are living in fear day to day.
“There’s no doubt that the Afghan LEES put their families and their own lives at risk by supporting the Australian missions in Afghanistan.
“The entire extended family is suffering now because of that one decision by one family member.”
When Australia ended its military mission in 2013, it launched Special Protection Visa program for interpreters and drivers who’d assisted the force.
Under the scheme, those who qualified along with their families would’ve fast tracked to safety.
However, many are still abandoned and forced into hiding along with their families as they hope for response from the Australia Government.
“After the fall of Kabul, Afghan extended families were on the priority list but after some period they have been dropped from that list,” Mr Timor said.
A Senate inquiry launched on 18 August 2021 – days after the fall of Kabul – found those interpreters left behind are at a high risk of harsh reprisals.
Afghan LEEs and their families are on the top priority list of the Talibans.
“The Taliban have kept the whole nation in their hostage,” Mr Timor said.
“The people are being killed and tortured, there’s no freedom of speech or media to report on these incidents otherwise they’ll be shut down or bear the consequences.”
The alliance has been advocating since 2015, a year after Mr Timor arrived in Australia who worked as a contractor to ADF and Australian aid agency.
He’s eagerly waited for his extended family to join him in this nail-biting situation.
“My family encountered serious threats and they had to leave.
“My father had a great job, he left the job. My brothers were bright students in school, they had to leave that.
“I may have settled here but I’ve not settled mentally or economically.”
His extended family are waiting for a response from the Australian Government as they were forced to flee to Pakistan, without any right to education or employment.
Mr Timor and his extended family is just the tip of the iceberg as hundreds and thousands of interpreters are hiding in limbo.
Just 159 of 1,422 LEE applications had been certified since the program began in 2013, while 946 were found not to meet certification requirements.
Justice and Freedom for Refugees chair Wicki Wickiramasingham has been a refugee advocate for nearly 30 years.
Mr Wickiramasingham has also worked as an interpreter in Nauru and Manus detention centres and has seen first-hand the impacts of the situation on Afghan LEE’s.
“I’ve worked as an interpreter. I know the difficulties when working for another government, there are serious threats and risks.
“There are families suffering on both sides, here and overseas.
“Some LEEs in Australia have depression because they’re constantly thinking of the rest of the family back home. They have to get help through counselling,” he said.
“Australia is compelled to give the interpreters the chance to bring the family here in safety, this matter can’t be delayed.”
Instead he suggests that the government should take LEE and their extended family to a country closest to Australia while their visa is being processed.
“There were thousands of refugees in Nauru and Manus detention centres, why can’t they bring these people?
“Generally everyone should get this chance but this is very important for those interpreters and their families, they need to be out of Afghanistan and to safety.”
City of Greater Dandenong mayor, Eden Foster also attended the event and said the Council will do anything to support the LEE’s and their extended families.
“What Mr Timor and his team are doing, walking 700km to Canberra is no tiny feat.
“It’s a massive effort, it takes bravery and courage. It’s a selfless cause they’re fighting for their brothers and sisters overseas.
“City of Greater Dandenong Council is currently the secretariat for the Mayoral Taskforce for People Seeking Asylum and we will push for this cause as part of that.
“I will voice the cause, concerns and the efforts of Afghan Lee alliance to push the federal government to bring these people to safety.”
The Albanese Government announced the termination of the LEE employee visa program from May 2024.
Applicants can apply and re-apply if previously rejected before November 2023.
This came after a review which found that both Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and Defence didn’t have case management systems in place.
As reported by SBS News, the inquiry found the program “was wracked by poor record keeping, insufficient legal oversight, and delays in communication between departments.”
There’s a new eligibility of Afghan security guards, government officials and military officials for the LEE visa who were rejected previously.
