For those wanting to know where to refer Afghan nationals currently in Australia for pro bono migration/visa assistance:
- VIC – Refugee Legal: Call 03 9413 0100 between 10.00-14.00 Wednesdays and Fridays
- NSW – RACS: Telephone advice: Monday – Friday 10am -1pm or 2pm – 4pm on 02 8355 7227 or email admin@racs.org.au with your name and phone number and they will call you back
- QLD – RAILS: Email admin@rails.org.au or call on (07) 3846 9300
- WA– Green Circle: call (08) 6148 3636
- TAS – TRLS: Phone (03) 61699473 email info@trls.org.au
- SA/NT– JusticeNet: email afghanistan@justicenet.org.au
- ACT or Anywhere in Australia: ASRC Legal triage line on 0478 700 605 between 10:30am-12:00pm Monday & Thursday or email legal@asrc.org.au with subject line “Afghanistan: Onshore visa help needed”
If you are contacted by community members seeking information about how they can support someone to apply for a humanitarian visa, you may refer them to the Department’s Global Service Centre – 131 881 or outside Australia +61 2 6196 0196 (Monday to Friday, 9 am to 5 pm local time). If people want legal advice about what they might be able to do to support or sponsor family in Afghanistan (or outside Afghanistan) this will not be provided by Home Affairs on the number provided above. Please refer clients to local legal services for legal advice
Australian Red Cross (ARC) teams are helping people who have lost contact with family in Afghanistan. Because of the evolving situation, re-establishing contact may take some time, but ARC are urging anyone in Australia who has lost contact with relatives to please call our Restoring Family Links hotline on 1800 875 199 or via email at tracing@redcross.org.au. This information is also on ARC’s website and on Facebook in Dari and Pashtun: www.redcross.org.au