800 Palestinian Refugees to Receive Work, Medicare Rights as Minister Fast-Tracks Visas

Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke described granting the visas as ’some of the happiest meetings’ he has ever had.

Pro Palestine supporters gather during a protest at Hyde Park in Sydney, Australia on Oct. 6, 2024. Roni Bintang/Getty Images

Australia’s Home Affairs Department has sped up visas for 800 Palestinians, providing them with work, Medicare rights, and support to find a home to lease.

Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said he had ordered visas for half of the Palestinians who arrived in Australia on tourist visas to be shifted to humanitarian ones.

“And can I say they have been some of the happiest meetings I’ve ever had,” the minister told SBS Arabic.

Burke explained that people were telling his office about their concerns after their 12-month visitor visas ran out.

“Eventually I’m moving everyone from the protection pathway to the humanitarian pathway, subject to the normal security checks. We have got through a bit less than half the caseload at the moment and we are now starting to speed that up.”

The arrivals have been converted from a temporary visitor visa to a 786 Temporary (Humanitarian Concern) visa, valid for three years.

Immigration Minister Tony Burke reacts during question time at Parliament House in Canberra, Australia, on July 28, 2022. Martin Ollman/Getty Images

Medicare, Accommodation Support and Work Rights

Benefits of the temporary humanitarian stay visas include work and study rights, Medicare access, and special benefits payments.

Those on this pathway also can receive essential clothing, food, short-term accommodation, and support to enter a lease.

These new temporary residents also receive help with school enrolments, assistance to “enter long-term accommodation,” and referrals to support services including health and family support services.

Further, they can receive employment support including starting a business, registration for English language earning, and a package of basic household goods.

How Does a Palestinian Resident Qualify?

The temporary humanitarian visa pathway is a two-step process.

First, arrivals are granted a 449 Humanitarian Stay (Temporary) before being converted to the subclass 786 visa. These are available to both Palestinian and Israeli nationals fleeing the conflict.

In order to be granted these visas, arrivals have to meet criteria including health, character, and security checks.

“The Australian government is committed to supporting people from significantly affected areas of the Occupied Palestinian Territories and Israel who have arrived in Australia on temporary visas due to the conflict between Hamas and Israel,” Home Affairs states.

Home Affairs explains they intend to extend offers of temporary humanitarian stay visas until the end of 2024.

Opposition Concerned About Hamas Sympathisers Entering Country

Shadow Home Affairs Minister James Paterson has previously raised concerns about the Albanese government’s “rushed and risky” Gaza visa scheme.

“We know the government concocted a quasi-humanitarian scheme with full access to Medicare but without the proper assessment. We know that at least seven had their visa applications refused onshore despite the government insisting none were cancelled in Australia,” he said in September.

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has also expressed concern about possible Hamas symphasisers entering the country on tourist visas.

“We know that in the case of Gaza, it’s controlled by Hamas, which is a listed terrorist organisation in our country, and we know that people were brought from that region into Australia on tourist visas—about 3,000 people,” he said on Oct. 31.

“The number may be higher by now, I’m not sure. But the requisite security checks weren’t done. Now that has no precedent in our country whatsoever. Let’s be clear about that.”

In August, Dutton also said the security risks of offering visas to Palestinian refugees were not the same as Israelis.

“Some people have tried to equate this to the number of visitor visas that have been issued to people from Israel, which is an absolute outrage,” he said.

“When comparing people who come from Israel on a visitor visa, the comparable statistic is to the number of people who have come from London or the number of people who have come from New Zealand or the number of people who have come from Jordan on a visitor visa to our country. Israel is not run by a terrorist organisation. Hamas is a listed terrorist organisation.”