The Australian government has restored the canceled visas of some Palestinians fleeing the war in the Gaza Strip.
Rasha Abbas, executive director of the Palestinian Australian Relief and Action Group (PARA), said today (Monday) that eight out of 11 Palestinians supported by her organization after their Australian visas were canceled without warning, have had their visas restored.
The federal government faced criticism earlier in March over its decision to revoke visas, leaving some Palestinians stranded in a third country before being notified of the reversal.
In letters sent to some of those whose visas were cancelled, the Home Office said they were planning to breach the conditions of their visitor visas by staying in Australia longer than permitted.
“We are thrilled and happy that they are able to travel to Australia,” Rasha Abbas told Nine Entertainment newspapers.
She added, "We are currently booking flight tickets for them and will work with the government to finalize the procedures for the remaining visa holders."
It is worth noting that the Australian government has granted 2,200 visas to Palestinians and 2,400 to Israelis since the outbreak of the war in Gaza.
شارك برأيك
The Australian government reverses the decision to cancel the visas of a number of Gazans