Australia to Prioritize Mental and Physical Well-being of Afghan Refugees

SYDNEY - Australia’s recently appointed adviser on Afghan refugees fleeing the Taliban said the exodus from the country poses unprecedented resettlement challenges for people working with refugees. 

Australia said it would offer sanctuary to 3,000 people fleeing Afghanistan by June 2022. A new advisory panel made up of Australian-Afghan community leaders, along with refugee and settlement experts, will help them chart a new life.   Australian immigration minister Alex Hawke said in a statement Monday the first priority would be safeguarding the “mental and physical wellbeing of the evacuees” who “have endured experiences of torture and trauma”.  Many would also have the anguish of leaving relatives behind in Afghanistan.    The Advisory Panel on Australia’s Resettlement of Afghan Nationals will liaise with the government and will be in place for at least a year.