Australia grants nearly 1,000 humanitarian visas in three months to those fleeing Israel-Hamas conflict
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Figures reveal number of beneficiaries of temporary three-year visa since it was introduced by Labor in October. Almost 1,000 Palestinian and Israeli nationals have been offered temporary humanitarian visas in Australia since last October, new data shows, as the six-week ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza begins.
The humanitarian pathway for those affected by the conflict was introduced in October 2024 for the more than 1,300 Palestinians in Australia on visitor visas but prevents them from applying for permanent protection. Advocates have applauded the new two-stage process, which gives visa holders access to social benefits and grants them working rights, but remain critical of the lack of pathways for permanent protection.
The home affairs department has offered 995 Palestinian and Israeli nationals the three-year humanitarian visa as of 15 January, figures obtained by Guardian Australia show. Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news email. More than 210 have been granted the subclass 449 visa. This first stage of the process gives visa holders access to social payments, working and study rights as well as settlement and transition programs, including English tuition classes.
Sixty-six others have been granted the subclass 786 visa, which allows visa holders to access Medicare. The home affairs minister, Tony Burke, said the pathway was similar to that offered to Ukrainians in 2022 after Russia invaded. “After extensive security checks, we have been offering humanitarian visas to people affected by the conflict in Gaza. This is the same visa which was offered to people fleeing the conflict in Ukraine,” Burke said in a statement.
