BY CAITLIN CEFAI

Australian students, politicians and activists have spoken out at an online rally demanding immediate change to the country’s visa laws. 

The event highlighted the unfair treatment of asylum seekers in the wake of the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan in August. 

Over 300 people attended the rally held via Zoom and Facebook livestream on August 28.

The event was held in response to Afghanistan’s humanitarian crisis and the international conversation it sparked about refugee quotas. 

Guest presenters emphasised the importance of providing aid to those who worked as allies against the Taliban over the past two decades. 

The crisis was set in motion last month following the United States’ scheduled removal of troops from Afghanistan’s capital, Kabul. 

The extremist Islamist militia known as the Taliban, captured the country’s biggest city and claimed a pseudo-peace while other nations scrambled to remove their diplomats and citizens. 

In the weeks following the Taliban's taking back power, Afghanis across Australia have come together to voice their concern for their friends and families facing Sharia Law’s restrictive practices. 

Their message was urgent as the Taliban’s notorious anti-Western ideology immediately placed targets on Afghans whose relatives had sought asylum in Western nations. 

Afghans were also concerned about the misogynistic and violent rules that will likely be inflicted upon women of all ages. 

The rally was hosted by Sitara Mohammadi alongside Iranian refugee Atena Kashani. 

It was created by a coalition of 10 activist organisations, including Refugee Action Collective Victoria and Melbourne-based Hazara Shamana Association. 

Greans Leader Adam Bandt said Australia’s proposal to offer only 3000 visas to Afghan asylum seekers was shameful, and advocated for the federal government to match Canada’s current promise of 20,000. 

Mr Bandt also stressed the need to tend to refugees already in Australian detention centres by referring to the “national responsibility” of also including them in the country’s quota.

Journalist Zahra Moshtagh stirred the most emotion from attendees as she connected to the Zoom rally via audio from the Afghan-Iranian border. 

Translated by an interpreter who listed her on-screen name as "Snbnm Rhmni", Ms Moshtagh recounted stories of families and soldiers desperately attempting to escape Iran and the harrowing events she had experienced since the Taliban takeover.

The sounds of Ms Moshtagh weeping could be heard as she pleaded for rich western nations with “access to welfare” to show mercy to refugees. 

Mr Breen called for the 4,300 Afghans on Temporary Protection Visas to be immediately resettled. 

He said the visas were a flawed branch of the immigration system, providing holders with no certain future as they threatened to end in repatriation.

Ms Mohammadi and Ms Kashani closed the rally by encouraging attendees to chant “Free the Refugees”. 

Those present participated with vigour, substituting what was originally planned to be live protests in Melbourne and Sydney. 

The rally has since been viewed more than 10,000 times on Facebook.