In an open letter to the Minister for Home Affairs, Meg Schwarz argues that Australia’s obligations to Palestinians must be reflected not only in foreign policy statements, but in the practical systems that shape access to visas, scholarships and education.

If Australia has obligations to Palestinians, they must be visible in our visa system.

Chris Sidoti (Australian expert on international human rights law, lawyer, advocate and former Human Rights Commissioner), in his article Australia has a legal obligation to act in response to Israel’s crimes in The Guardian (6 June), argues that Australia has legal obligations in response to what’s happening in Gaza and the West Bank and that these obligations require real action from countries, not just statements of concern.

Sidoti also sets out what that action should look like, including a very solid proposal that Australia provide at least 15,000 humanitarian places for Palestinian refugees from Gaza and restore scholarship eligibility for Palestinians to undertake tertiary study in Australia. He makes the point that this isn’t a wishlist, but the practical implementation of legal obligations. Australia, in his view, can choose to be a good international citizen and this is what that would look like.

I am writing to you because I want to say plainly what that argument looks like when it reaches the level of ordinary systems like visas, universities and migration........

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