They are, the pair listed, “assisting Australians who are at risk and need to leave, along with Afghans who supported Australia’s defence and humanitarian work in the country, and attending to the grave risk to those who have worked to defend and uphold the rule of law, and to support and establish democratic and justice institutions over the past 20 years, including in particular women participating in the legal profession”.

Among Afghans at “terrible risk”, Dr Brasch and Mr Howard continued, are judges and lawyers, many of whom “have courageously worked to defend and uphold the rule of law, and to support and establish democratic and justice institutions over the past 20 years”.

“We are particularly concerned for the safety of all Afghan judges, but in particular, the women judges who previously heard trials against members of the Taliban, and lawyers who worked for the fallen Government,” they said.

“We urge the Australian Government to continue to work with its international allies to protect and assist vulnerable Afghans, including by offering asylum and working to ensure safe passage of Afghans seeking to leave Afghanistan.”

The statement came as over 300 organisations, businesses, and community groups signed on to a joint letter to all federal MPs and senators calling on them to “take urgent action on the devastating situation in Afghanistan”.

The joint letter, sent to all parliamentarians on 18 August, urged seven practical steps that the federal government could take to provide safety for people from Afghanistan and to show leadership on the global stage.

Among the signatories were Australian Lawyers for Human Rights, Australian Women Lawyers, Asylum Seeker Resource Centre, Circle Green Community Legal, Human Rights Law Centre, National Justice Project, Refugee Advice and Casework Service, Refugee and Immigration Legal Service, Refugee Legal, and SCALES Community Legal Centre.

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“We welcome the announcement yesterday by Immigration Minister Alex Hawke confirming the extension of temporary visas for people from Afghanistan in Australia but there is a lot more that needs to be done for people at grave risk,” said Refugee Council of Australia chief executive Paul Power.

“Members of the Afghan diaspora in Australia are desperately worried about their family, colleagues, and friends who remain in Afghanistan. Many of the people here in Australia also need certainty and safety, and the Australian Government has the power to offer protection and additional support in many ways.”

The seven actions include doing everything possible in coming days to evacuate people who are at grave risk within Afghanistan, urging governments in the region to keep borders open for people trying to flee persecution in Afghanistan, offering additional refugee resettlement places for Afghan refugees immediately, increasing Australian aid to the region to support programs to assist people who have been displaced across borders ensuring that people whose asylum claims have been previously rejected be supported to submit new claims in the light of the changed circumstances in Afghanistan, extending permanent protection to 4,300 Afghans on temporary protection visas, and assisting Afghan Australians, including people with temporary and permanent protection visas, with urgent family reunion applications for relatives who are at particular risk, as members of minorities targeted by the Taliban or people likely to be targeted because of their connections to Western nations.