Former immigration minister Alex Hawke calls for action on bridging visa backlog with thousands left in limbo. By Lisa McGregor, ABC News

Former Coalition immigration minister Alex Hawke has joined calls for the government to resolve the status of thousands of asylum seekers on bridging visas.

A group of around 8,000 asylum seekers who arrived between 2012 and 2013 and whose claims were rejected under a now abolished system remain in legal limbo.

The Department of Home Affairs says people with new, credible claims relating to their asylum applications may request ministerial intervention.

Former immigration minister Alex Hawke calls for action on bridging visa backlog with thousands left in limbo. By Lisa McGregor, ABC News