The Executive Council of Australian Jewry has called on Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke to grant permanent residency to Abdullah Ashraf, a Pakistani national and rideshare driver who assisted multiple victims during a terror attack on a Jewish festival at Bondi Beach on December 14, in which fifteen people were killed and more than 40 injured.
Australia's peak Jewish body urges permanent residency for Pakistani student who aided victims of Bondi Beach attack
The Executive Council of Australian Jewry has called on Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke to grant permanent residency to Abdullah Ashraf, a Pakistani national and rideshare driver who assisted multiple victims during a terror attack on a Jewish festival at Bondi Beach on December 14, in which fifteen people were killed and more than 40 injured.
Ashraf was driving a rideshare vehicle when he heard the incident unfold. According to the source, he ran toward the scene, helped an injured police officer, worked to stem the bleeding of a young mother after getting her children to safety, and stayed with 27-year-old French engineer Dan Elkayam as he died.
Ashraf subsequently had his student visa cancelled after he was granted compassionate leave from his studies to deal with trauma arising from the incident. He has said the attack occupies his thoughts when he is 'alone at night.'
Two other individuals recognised for bravery during the same attack — Indian national Rahemath Pasha and Israeli man Geffen Bitton — were granted permanent residency by Minister Burke.
The minister's office was contacted for comment, according to the source, but no response is reported.
In a comparable earlier case, security guard Muhammad Taha and Frenchman Damien Guerot, known as 'bollard man', were granted permanent visas following their actions during the 2024 Bondi Westfield stabbing. Last week, two Iranian women's soccer players who sought asylum in Australia after competing in the Asian Cup were granted citizenship.
- No response from Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke or his office is included in the source.
- The grounds on which Ashraf's student visa was cancelled are not specified beyond the compassionate leave circumstances.
- Whether Ashraf has formally applied for permanent residency or ministerial intervention is not stated.
- The specific visa subclass or pathway being sought is not identified.
- The current immigration status of Ashraf — whether he remains in Australia pending any decision — is not confirmed.
- Details of why Pasha and Bitton were granted permanent residency while Ashraf was not are not provided.
Read the original at ABC News Australia