Jewish Group Surprised by Volume of Visas Issued to Gazans

Between the latest outbreak of violence in early October and the end of December 2023, Australia issued 2,250 visas to Palestinians.

Palestine supporters rally outside the Sydney Opera House on October 09, 2023 in Sydney, Australia. The Palestinian militant group Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel from Gaza by land, sea, and air, over the weekend, killing over 600 people and wounding more than 2000, agency reports said. Reports also said Israeli soldiers and civilians have been kidnapped by Hamas and taken into Gaza. The attack prompted a declaration of war by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and ongoing retaliatory strikes by Israel on Gaza killing hundreds in the aftermath. Photo by Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images

The Australian Jewish Association (AJA) says it is “shocked” to learn from Senate Estimates that despite Foreign Minister Penny Wong announcing in November last year that 860 visas would be issued to people from Gaza, over 2,250 had been issued to Arab Palestinians by Dec. 31.

It claims many of these visitors’ visas “may have been processed and approved within 24 hours of application ... It is inconceivable that appropriate security screening could have been undertaken.”