Resumption of travel for temporary visa holders is welcome news and a win for thousands of people whose lives have been disrupted for more than 20 months, the Greens say.
“While this announcement is long overdue, and nothing can erase the immense pain and trauma that the border closure has caused, this news will be celebrated by many thousands of people who hold visas for Australia,” Greens Immigration and Citizenship spokesperson Senator Nick McKim said.
“The Greens join with them to celebrate all the children that will be reunited with their parents, all of the couples that will be reunited, all of the people that will be able to return to their jobs, homes, communities and lives in Australia.”
“We also welcome the new temporary visa holders who will now be able to come to Australia and start a new chapter in their lives.”
“The Greens will examine the changes to determine which visa classes have been left out, and continue to advocate for people who hold those visas.”
“There are obviously also many people whose visas have expired, and those who have lost significant amounts of time that they could have spent in Australia.”
“The Greens last month introduced legislation to restore and extend these visas, and we will continue to fight for them to be reinstated.”
