Statement from Scholars of Migration, Refugee and Statelessness Studies Condemning Australian Racism towards Palestinian Visa Applicants

We are scholars of migration, refugee and statelessness studies, with expertise spanning across disciplines including law, history, Indigenous studies, politics and international relations, health, economics, international development, humanitarianism, business, criminology, gender studies, social work, settler colonialism, sociology and anthropology,  among others.

Collectively, our scholarship illuminates the histories and injustices of state border regimes of xenophobia, settler colonialism and racial exclusion, and the difficulties and prejudices that refugees and stateless people have faced and continue to face today across their migration journeys in search of asylum and safety. For 10 months now, we have watched in horror as Israel continues its relentless genocidal military assault on Gaza. The situation for Palestinians in Gaza has long been an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe. The scale of destruction and obliteration is overwhelming. It is clear that Palestinians need to be supported both to remain on their land and to leave for safety where they desire: that is, that Palestinians must be able to meaningfully exercise their right to self-determination.

We unequivocally condemn the racism that Australian political leaders and authorities have shown towards Palestinians, particularly to Palestinian visa applicants from Gaza since October 2023. Australian political leaders and authorities have failed dismally to provide Palestinians with meaningful access to asylum and safety. At present, there is no humanitarian visa currently available to Palestinians from Gaza, and Palestinians are only able to apply for Australian visitor visas, which are rarely granted. Recent figures show that the Australian Department of Home Affairs has rejected two-thirds of Palestinians who have applied for Australian visitor visas in the last 10 months, with 7,111 Palestinian visa applications rejected and only 2,922 Palestinian visa applications approved. This has meant that only around 1,300 Palestinians have actually been able to arrive in Australia since October 2023, a dismally low number considering the dire humanitarian crisis. This is in contrast to the over 8,700 Australian visas granted to Israeli citizens since October 2023, with only 200 visa applications refused. In addition, in the last 12 months, Australia has arbitrarily cancelled visas to Palestinians from Gaza without any substantiated reasons, with only some of these decisions having since been reversed. This racism towards Palestinians has had devastating impacts on Palestinian families in Australia, and has left Palestinians in Gaza in dire circumstances, including being at risk of death, starvation and continued forced displacement.

We also express our absolute rejection of Opposition Leader Peter Dutton’s calls for a blanket ban on granting visas to Palestinians fleeing from Gaza on the basis of racist and unsubstantiated ‘security’ concerns. Such bans echo Australia’s long history of entry bans on certain persecuted minorities, including Palestinians. As Palestinian-Australian scholar Dr Samiha Olwan has recently written:

The truth is that Peter Dutton’s comments have not come as a surprise. In many ways, they affirm a longstanding political position and attitude towards Palestinian refugees from Gaza, one that denies us even the recognition of the horror and the pain that has been inflicted on us and our families. It affirms the government and Coalition’s refusal to listen to our concerns over the safety of our families in Gaza, our pleas for a humanitarian pathway that can offer hope of resettlement, and our demands that Australia fulfils its duty in accordance with the ICJ’s advisory opinion that Israel’s occupation of Gaza is unlawful.

Offering visas to people fleeing persecution, genocide and war zones should be at the core of Australia’s humanitarian visa program, and the bare minimum that we expect of the Australian government at this moment. Following Russia’s military invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the government announced it had issued almost 4,500 visas to Ukrainians by late March. Then-Prime Minister Scott Morrison stated ‘[w]e are prepared to meet the demand. We haven’t set a limit on this’ and that all Ukrainian visa applications were being prioritised. Ukrainian visa holders in Australia and Ukrainians who arrived over coming months were also able to apply for a temporary humanitarian visa (visa class 786). This visa was valid for three years and provided comprehensive access to health, resettlement and welfare services, as well as income support. Australia must create the same humanitarian emergency response for Palestinians too.

As scholars, we have a responsibility to understand and work against the ongoing histories of racism and exclusion which shape Australia’s settler-colonial border regime. This means that all who seek to flee persecution must be supported and that the racist violence against First Nations people here must be ended.

We call on the Australian government to immediately and urgently implement the below measures, as a bare minimum:

• Meaningfully implement a viable, safe and supported humanitarian pathway for Palestinians, particularly Palestinians in Gaza, to come to Australia, including through family reunification visas;
• Significantly increase the number of visas granted to Palestinians, including urgently expediting all current Palestinian visa applications;
• Provide full and proper support for all Palestinians who have escaped the genocide and are living in Australia, including access to financial assistance, medical care and welfare support;
• Provide Palestinians currently residing in Australia on temporary visas with automatic visa extensions and pathways to permanency, if they choose to remain in Australia;
• Review all decisions in the last 12 months to deny or cancel visas to Palestinians;
• Cease Australian support – both direct and indirect, militarily and diplomatically – for the genocide and forced migration of Palestinians;
• Cease deploying racist and divisive rhetoric and policies against Palestinians, including Palestinian visa applicants;
• Cease deploying divisive and harmful political responses to those who are protesting against the genocide and forced displacement of Palestinians; and
• Consult and be guided by Palestinians in Australia in relation to implementing additional genuine anti-racist measures, based on an ethos of justice and solidarity.

Please include your details on this form if you wish to sign on to the Statement. For any enquiries, you can email Sara.Dehm@uts.edu.au.

Please note:

• PhD researchers and Independent Scholars are very welcome to add their names to the list of signatures;
• While the below statement has been drafted by Australian-based scholars and is focused on the failure of Australian authorities to provide actual humanitarian pathways to Palestinians from Gaza, scholars of migration, refugee and statelessness studies (broadly defined) based outside of Australia are also welcome to sign.

 Signed by:

1. Dr Sara Dehm, Faculty of Law, University of Technology Sydney
2. Dr Jordana Silverstein, Melbourne Law School, The University of Melbourne
3. Dr Lana Tatour, School of Social Sciences, University of New South Wales
4. Associate Professor Anthea Vogl, Faculty of Law, University of Technology Sydney
5. Associate Professor Maria Giannacopoulos, Faculty of Law and Justice UNSW
6. Associate Professor Sukhmani Khorana, School of the Arts and Media, University of New South Wales
7. Professor Joseph Pugliese, Macquarie University
8. Distinguished Professor Emeritus Suvendrini Perera, Curtin University
9. Dr Randa Abdel-Fattah, Macquarie University
10. Associate Professor Zora Simic, School of Humanities and Languages, University of New South Wales
11. Associate Professor Crystal McKinnon, University of Melbourne
12. Dr Adil Hasan Khan, Melbourne Law School, The University of Melbourne
13. Dr Amanda Porter, The University of Melbourne
14. Dr André Dao, Melbourne Law School, The University of Melbourne
15. Professor Linda Briskman, Western Sydney University
16. Dr Samiha Olwan, Murdoch University
17. Associate Professor Caroline Fleay, Curtin University
18. Professor Sujatha Fernandes, University of Sydney
19. Dr Andonis Piperoglou University of Melbourne
20. Dr Jess Hambly, Australian National University
21. Dr Souheir Edelbi, School of Law, Western Sydney University
22. Dr Niro Kandasamy, University of Sydney
23. Jon Tjhia, RMIT University
24. Sumedha Choudhury, PhD candidate, University of Melbourne
25. Emeritus Professor Baden Offord AO, Curtin University
26. Sanmati Verma, Legal Director, Human Rights Law Centre
27. Associate Professor Amy Nethery, Deakin University
28. Dr Freya Higgins-Desbiolles, University of South Australia
29. Associate Professor Matthew Zagor, Australian National University College of Law
30. Dr Hadeel Abdelhameed , Postdoctoral research fellow at Monash Uni wraith
31. Dr Priya Kunjan , RMIT University
32. Dr Erica Millar, La Trobe University
33. Dr Alexandra Dellios, Australian National University
34. Associate Professor Caroline Lenette, School of Social Sciences, University of New South Wales
35. Dr Sophie Rudolph, University of Melbourne
36. Haris Jamil, University of Melbourne
37. Associate Professor Jumana Bayeh, Macquarie University
38. Professor Devleena Ghosh, University of Technology Sydney
39. A/Prof Tanja Dreher, University of New South Wales
40. Dr Ayesha Jehangir, School of Arts and Media, University of New South Wales
41. Dr Lara Palombo, Macquarie University
42. Dr Danielle Hynes, Maynooth University
43. Dr Liyana Kayali, The University of Sydney
44. Dr Marika Sosnowski, Melbourne Law School, The University of Melbourne
45. Dr Lucy Fiske, UTS
46. Shohini Sengupta, PhD candidate, UNSW, Faculty of Law & Justice
47. Dr Lucia Sorbera, The University of Sydney
48. Associate Professor Catherine Kevin, Flinders University
49. Emily Foley, La Trobe University
50. Dr Vek Lewis, University of Sydney
51. Dr. Andrew Burridge, Macquarie University
52. Professor Amanda Wise, Macquarie University
53. Professor Alana Lentin, Western Sydney University
54. Dr Stephen Pascoe, University of New South Wales
55. Prof Stephi Donald, UTS
56. Dr Rachel Sharples, Western Sydney University
57. Associate Professor Sally Baker, Australian National University
58. Dr Ben Silverstein, Australian National University
59. Dr Claire Loughnan, University of Melbourne
60. Dr Na’ama Carlin, School of Social Sciences, University of New South Wales
61. Dr Shima Shahbazi, Western Sydney University
62. Dr Hanne Worsoe, University of Queensland
63. Associate Professor Jessica Whyte, University of New South Wales
64. Dr Ihab Shalbak, University of Sydney
65. Asociate Professor Hannah McGlade, Curtin University
66. Dr Louise Boon-Kuo, Sydney Law School, University of Sydney
67. Sherine Al Shallah, UNSW Sydney
68. Dr Rachel Coghlan, Nossal Institute for Global Health, The Univrrsity of Melbourne
69. Dr Natalia Maystorovich Chulio, The University of Sydney
70. Professor Chris Healy, The University of Melbourne
71. Dr Astrid Lorange, UNSW
72. Dr Greta Werner, University of Sydney
73. Dr. Antonina Gentile, Macquarie University
74. Dr Quah Ee Ling, Western Sydney University
75. A/Prof Anne Jamison, Western Sydney University
76. Dr Robert Austin Henry, University of Sydney
77. Viviana Canibilo Ramírez, Independent scholar
78. Dr Ruth Wells, Psychiatry and Mental Health, UNSW
79. Professor Andrekos Varnava, Flinders University
80. Dr Victoria Mason, Murdoch University
81. Dr Ian Wilson, Murdoch University
82. Dr Samantha Balaton-Chrimes, Deakin University
83. Prof Kanishka Jayasuriya, Murdoch University
84. Dr Simon Stevens, Edith Cowan University
85. Marziya Mohammedali, PhD Candidate, Edith Cowan University
86. Dr Maria Elena Indelicato, Centre for Social Studies, University of Coimbra
87. Adjunct Professor Scott Poynting, Queensland University of Technology
88. Professor Michael Mcdonnell, History, University of Sydney
89. Dr Ana Stevenson, University of Southern Queensland
90. Axel-Nathaniel Rose, PhD candidate, University of New South Wales
91. Dr Justine Lloyd, Macquarie University
92. Dr Emma Russell, La Trobe University
93. Dr Micaela Sahhar
94. Dr Nisha Thapliyal, University of Newcastle
95. Ms Kylie Wrigley, Edith Cowan University
96. Associate Professor Matthew Klugman, Victoria University
97. Dr Poppy de Souza, University of New South Wales
98. Associate Professor Francesco Ricatti, Australian National university
99. Aman, Faculty of Law & Justice, University of New South Wales, Sydney
100. Associate Professor Rochelle Spencer Murdoch University
101. Associate Professor Linda Steele, University of Technology Sydney
102. Professor Chelsea Watego, Carumba Institute, QUT
103. Associate Professor Vince Marotta, Deakin University
104. Dr Jacqui Baker, Murdoch University
105. Dr Alys Daroy, Murdoch University
106. Dr Andy Kaladelfos, Faculty of Law and Justice, University of New South Wales
107. Hannah Gordon, Melbourne Law School, The University of Melbourne
108. Professor Mohamad Abdalla AM, University of South Australia
109. Dr Nilmini Fernando, Griffith/Independent
110. Anna Talbot, University of New South Wales
111. Dr Anna Szorenyi, University of Adelaide
112. Dr Caroline Wake, University of New South Wales
113. Keyvan Dorostkar, Faculty of Law and Justice UNSW
114. Professor Thalia Anthony, UTS
115. Dr Jessie Moritz, Australian National University
116. Associate Professor Anna Copeland, Murdoch University
117. Dr Amira Allahham, University of Western Australia
118. Dr Ned Curthoys, The University of Western Australia
119. Dr Ramzan Khan, The University of Western Australian
120. Dr Ari Jerrems, University of Western Australia
121. Associate Professor Christine Agius, Swinburne University
122. Afifa Kiran, Swinburne University
123. Emeritus Professor Jane Kenway, Monash University
124. Professor Michael Leach, Swinburne University of Technology
125. Dr Melanie Baak, University of South Australia
126. Dr Andrew Brooks, University of New South Wales
127. Hon Professor Lindsay J Fitzclarence, Honorary Professor, School of Education, Faculty of Arts and Education, Deakin University
128. Dr Umut Ozguc, Macquarie University
129. Associate Professor Karen Block, University of Melbourne
130. Professor Karima Laachir, Australian National University
131. Dr Ntina Tzouvala, ANU College of Law
132. Prof Ishaq Bhatti, Adjunct Prof, Latrobe University
133. Professor Halim Rane, Griffith University
134. Dr Alam Saleh, Australian National University
135. Associate Professor Charlie Fox, University of Western Australia
136. Adjunct Associate Professor Jan Gothard, Murdoch University
137. Dr Mohammed Alsudairi, Australian National University
138. Karo Moret-Miranda, PhD, ANU
139. Dr Armita Zarnegar, Swinburne University of Technology
140. Dr. Lina Koleilat, Australian National University
141. Amanda Adham, Swinburne University
142. Dr Burcu Cevik-Compiegne, Australian National University
143. Dr Liam Gillespie, The University of Melbourne
144. Khalid Al Bostanji, Australian National University
145. Professor Alison Young, University of Melbourne
146. Sophie Cotton PhD student, Political Economy, University of Sydney
147. Amra Lee, Australian National University
148. Dylan Asafo, Melbourne Law School, University of Melbourne
149. Dr Felicity Gray, Australian National University
150. Sulagna Basu, University of Sydney
151. Dr Juliette McIntyre, University of South Australia
152. Eleanor Childs, PhD Candidate, Deakin University
153. Dr Eureka Henrich, University of New South Wales
154. Dr Srinjoy Bose, University of New South Wales, Sydney
155. Dr Inez Baranay, Independent scholar
156. Dr Randi Irwin, University of Newcastle
157. Dr. Masyhur A. Hilmy, University of New South Wales
158. Charlotte Mertens, University of Melbourne
159. Dr Paul Norton, Griffith University
160. Zoe Keys, PhD Student and Casual Academic Flinders University
161. Dr Aidan Craney, La Trobe University
162. Sivan Barak, RMIT
163. Associate Professor Egla Martínez, Carleton University, Canada
164. Dr Effie Karageorgos, The University of Newcastle
165. Assoc Professor Juliet Rogers, University of Melbourne
166. Ms Jenna Walsh, Flinders University
167. Dr Kyja Noack-Lundberg, University of Hull
168. Dr. Kirsty Anantharajah, University of Canberra
169. Dr Peter Slezak, University of New South Wales
170. Associate Professor Natalie Harkin (Narungga), Flinders University
171. Dana Young, University of Melbourne
172. Dr Padraic Gibson, Jumbunna Institute, UTS
173. Dr Lauren Carpenter, University of Melbourne
174. Dr Vannessa Hearman, Curtin University
175. Ilundi Tinga, University of Melbourne
176. Dr Elese Dowden, Trinity College, University of Melbourne
177. Dr Kyle Harvey, University of Tasmania
178. Amy Hamilton, Australian National University
179. Associate Professor Lisa Hartley, Curtin University
180. Gemma Tarpey-Brown, University of Melbourne
181. Dr Md Nuruzzaman Khan, University of Melbourne
182. Associate Professor Mary Anne Kenny, Murdoch University
183. Professor Margaret Allen, University of Adelaide
184. Samya Jabbour, PhD candidate, Curtin University
185. Dr Rhiannon Bandiera, School of Law and Criminology, Maynooth University, Ireland
186. Dr Shannon Woodcock, University of Melbourne
187. Julie Kimber, Swinburne University of Technology
188. Dr Amanda Lourie, Independent scholar
189. Professor Nadia Abu-Zahra, University of Ottawa
190. Dr Sue Pyke, University of Melbourne
191. Professor Leanne Weber, University of Canberra
192. Dr Samid Suliman, Griffith University
193. Associate Professor Alison Holland, Macquarie University
194. Norah Niland , Visiting Fellow, Graduate Institute, International and Development Studies, Geneva, Switzerland
195. Professor Cathy Vaughan, The University of Melbourne
196. Dr Dave McDonald, University of Melbourne
197. Dr Susanne Schmeidl, UNSW Sydney
198. Dr Liz Strakosch, University of Melbourne
199. Dr Jamal Nabulsi, University of Melbourne
200. Dr Prudence Flowers, Flinders University
201. Madina Mohmood, Queensland University of Technology
202. Dr Yirga Gelaw Woldeyes, Curtin University
203. Dr Charishma Ratnam, Deakin University
204. Carolina Triana Cuéllar, PhD researcher, University of Sussex
205. Antonio Donini, Visiting Fellow, Feinstein International Center, Tufts University
206. Dr Mujib Abid, University of Melbourne
207. Dr Kathleen Openshaw, Western Sydney University
208. Dr Marta Araújo, Centre for Social Studies, University of Coimbra
209. Dr Julie Kimber, Swinburne University of Technology
210. Dr Andrew Whelan, University of Wollongong
211. Dr Duc Dau, The University of Western Australia