Catholic Alliance for People Seeking Asylum | Community
Catholic Alliance for People Seeking Asylum
Phone: +61 3 9421 7600
Reviews
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25.01.2022 "Behrouz Boochani, the Kurdish Iranian refugee and journalist who became the voice of those incarcerated on Manus Island, has landed in New Zealand and says he will never return to Papua New Guinea or Australia’s immigration regime." https://www.theguardian.com//behrouz-boochani-free-voice-m
24.01.2022 "Catholic Religious Australia has criticised moves to repeal the so-called medevac law that protects the transfer of refugees and asylum seekers in Papua New Guinea and Nauru to Australia for emergency medical treatment or assessment." This repeal bill is currently being debated in the Senate. https://catholicleader.com.au//catholic-religious-call-for
24.01.2022 MEDIA RELEASE: The Federal Government’s repeal of the #Medevac laws is a shameful day in Australian history and equates to political point scoring with the live...s of vulnerable people. We are deeply dismayed and saddened with the Morrison Government’s repeal of these valuable laws which had rightly put medical decisions in the hands of medical professionals, not politicians, says our CEO Julie Edwards. We call on the Morrison Government to erase this terrible stain on our national history by immediately resettling all people in PNG and Nauru, in a safe and secure country, and ensuring they get the medical treatment they require. These people cannot wait any longer, and neither can the people of Australia." Read our media release: https://jss.org.au/medevac-repeal-a-shameful-day-in-austra/
23.01.2022 "What is happening there is breaking the international conventions and PNG and Australian constitutions. These people have already experienced so much violence and trauma and if they continue this torture more people will die. His statements echo accusations by the general secretary of the Catholic Bishops Conference of PNG, Father Giorgio Licini, to Radio New Zealand last week that Australia was using harsh conditions to coerce asylum seekers into accepting repatriation." ...A group of Catholic leaders from Australia visited Fr Giorgio a few days ago in Port Moresby, and after listening to the issues relating to the Bomana detention centre, drove to Bomana detention and stood in a circle of silence outside its gates for ten minutes, and then group members prayed out loud for change and for those inside before being moved on. https://www.theguardian.com//designed-to-torture-asylum-se
22.01.2022 A delegation of seven representatives from the Catholic community in Australia, recently returned from a visit to Papua New Guinea where they listened, prayed and expressed solidarity with people seeking asylum and refugees. Among the people we met with were individuals being treated in the hospital in Port Moresby who were visibly unwell. A number of men who the group met with had been approved for medical transfer, but have not yet been transferred, to Australia. In some circumstances the men had been waiting for months. We call on the Federal Government to #SaveMedevac this week and ensure the timely evacuation of those people who have been approved through the process.
21.01.2022 Representatives of the Catholic community in Australia, including Jesuit Refugee Service 'JRS' Australia director Carolina Gottardo, and Catholic Alliance for P...eople Seeking Asylum - CAPSA and Catholic Religious Australia members, visited Papua New Guinea to listen, pray and express solidarity with refugees and people seeking asylum. The visit affirms the need for Medevac, which is to be debated in Parliament. Consider adding your voice to support here: https://jesuit.org.au/jrs-australia-director-and-capsa-mem/ See more
19.01.2022 Late last year, seven representatives of the Catholic community in Australia visited Papua New Guinea to better understand the situation there for refugees and people seeking asylum, including more than 50 people detained in the Bomana Immigration Detention Centre. Since then, we and many others across Australia have kept up the pressure on the Australian Government to act. Fr Peter Smith from the Justice and Peace Office at the Sydney Archdiocese, Glenn Jessop (Coordinator ...of CAPSA) and Carolina Gottardo (CAPSA Co-convenor and Director of Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) Australia) met with Federal MPs following the trip and worked to help highlight the relationship between the Australian Government and the operation of Bomana. Positively, it was reported in late January that the last 18 men of the group detained in Bomana, who had previously been detained on Manus Island, were released. Some information was tabled in the House of Representatives on 4 February on Australia’s involvement with the detention centre, although the details remain opaque. In response to questions placed on the Notice Paper by Federal MP Ms Rebekha Sharkie, the Minister for Home Affairs confirmed that: * The Department of Home Affairs provides funding support to the PNG Government for its operation of the Bomana Immigration Centre. * The Department of Home Affairs provided training to six PNG Immigration and Citizenship Authority officers working at the Bomana Immigration Centre. * The Australian Government contributed approximately $23.2 million to the cost of constructing Bomana. This clearly shows Australia’s key and ongoing involvement in the detention centre. However, when asked to provide a copy of any agreement made between the Australian and PNG governments in relation to Bomana, the minister states that the matters were agreed in confidence and may jeopardise relations with PNG if released. Unfortunately, this ongoing lack of transparency has been a hallmark of Australia’s harsh polices of offshore detention for people seeking asylum. We will continue to advocate for safe and secure pathways to resettlement and other humanitarian solutions for all those people who remain in both PNG and Nauru.
19.01.2022 Sr Mary-Clare Holland OP was one of seven representatives from the Catholic community in Australia who recently visited Papua New Guinea to listen, pray and exp...ress solidarity with people seeking asylum and refugees and gain a better understanding of the human experience and complexities of the situation. https://www.catholicreligious.org.au//png-visit-affirms-ne See more
18.01.2022 The Australian Catholic Bishops Conference's Bishops Commission for Social Justice, Mission and Service has made a statement regarding the situation for refugees and people seeking asylum offshore. I join with a growing number of Australians who are calling on the Government to reconsider New Zealand’s offer to receive 150 refugees. For the sake of the God-given dignity of more than 500 men, women and children detained offshore, the Catholic Church calls for the Government ...to ensure timely and durable resettlement options in Australia and other secure countries- Bishop Vincent Long, Bishop of the Diocese of Parramatta and Chair of the Commission. Read it in full here: https://www.catholic.org.au//2226-it-s-time-to-get-au/file
18.01.2022 This article from the US details the many different ways faith and faith traditions can play a role in our attitudes towards 'the stranger'. It also notes that many involved in action and advocacy for refugees and immigrants come from faith backgrounds: https://religionandpolitics.org//for-many-immigration-act/
18.01.2022 Refugees and people seeking asylum have been locked up in detention by Scott Morrison and Peter Dutton for far too long. Right now, over 1400 men, women and children are being detained by the government, some for up to 10 years. Whilst lock-down restriction are easing for us and for over 1,400 people their future is still uncertain. We are calling for the government to release all refugees and people seeking asylum from detention. Join an online rally tomorrow to hear direct...ly from the people inside these detention facilities and who have experienced offshore detention, and learn what WE can do to help secure their freedom. More information: https://www.facebook.com/events/948730442206734/
18.01.2022 "Sydney Catholic Early Childhood Services will open its doors from early next year to children of asylum seekers as part of a grassroots movement giving hope to some of the city’s most vulnerable people."
18.01.2022 "Christians have seen Palm Sunday as an appropriate day to remember and walk with people who are also powerless, have fled persecution and despised by others. Supporters and organisations in the CAPSA network have borne witness to the journey of many refugees and people seeking asylum, and so we have joined the march for many years. This year it is even more important to keep them in our hearts people who seek protection."... Ahead of Palm Sunday, Andy Hamilton SJ writes that when the threat of Coronavirus has passed we shall need to rebuild our society, that that it will be an opportunity for shaping a more just Australia. Read his reflection on the CAPSA website:
17.01.2022 We are looking forward to the Refugee Alternatives Conference 2020 in Brisbane next month. The two-day event will bring together people from right across the country to explore how we can achieve justice and fairness for refugees and people seeking asylum in Australia and the world. It will be a great chance to collaborate and discuss policy and practice with participants from refugee backgrounds, academia, service provision, advocacy, policymaking, government and engaged ind...ividuals. For more information and to book, visit https://refugeealternatives.org.au/
15.01.2022 Join Jesuit Refugee Service 'JRS' Australia Director Carolina Gottardo as she explores the effectiveness of the Global Compacts on Refugees and Migration (espec...ially the latter) in a free public lecture at the University of Melbourne Law School on Thursday 17/10. Get your tickets here: https://law.unimelb.edu.au/events/details?event=13358 See more
15.01.2022 Bishop Vincent Long: today is not a great day for Australia ... refugees are being denied the urgent healthcare and treatment that they need ... it doesn’t reflect the Australia that we believe in
14.01.2022 "Families across Australia are struggling with the ramifications of COVID-19. The families of people in detention are no different. We ask that these families are allowed to bring their loved ones home to see out the pandemic. These people have safe and caring home environments willing to support them, either with a family member or advocate in Australia. Detention centres have already experienced periods of no or limited access to soap, toilet paper, and even cough syrup.... In an already difficult situation, this creates a situation which endangers the health of those detained and also the workers in these centres. These workers then go home to their loved ones and places those families at risk. There is a simple solution to this emerging and potentially life-threatening situation: send these people to homes in Australia. Those without immediate families have advocates in the community who will support them." We support these calls by Human Rights for All - please sign this Change.org petition if you do, too. https://www.change.org/p/stop-the-spread-of-covid-19-in-imm
14.01.2022 Catholic Religious Australia has urged the federal government to retain the Medevac Bill and explore options for a humane solution to the plight of asylum seekers and refugees. Read more: https://www.catholicreligious.org.au//cra-urges-government
13.01.2022 Last night some of the members of the CAPSA-coordinated Catholic delegation who went to show solidarity and get a first hand understanding of the situation for refugees and people seeking asylum in PNG spoke about their experience in Sydney, kindly hosted by the Justice and Peace Office. The speakers were: Bishop Vincent Long, Diocese of Parramatta... Fr Peter Smith, Justice and Peace Office - Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney Behrouz Boochani, Journalist and Author (via video-link) Carolina Gottardo, Jesuit Refugee Service 'JRS' Australia You can watch the recorded live stream here:
13.01.2022 "I just returned from a trip to Papua New Guinea where I witnessed their pain and suffering first hand. We must do all we can to influence our government policy towards the marginalised, so that it reflects the nation we desire it to be." Read or view Bishop Vincent Long's full Christmas message here: https://catholicoutlook.org/bishop-vincents-2019-christmas/
12.01.2022 ACRT Media Statement Lifesaving Medevac Legislation to be repealed "...the Government must immediately open a humane resettlement pathway for people detained o...n PNG and Nauru and guarantee that those seriously ill people will receive the appropriate health care." https://www.ncca.org.au/component/fileman
11.01.2022 "The Catholic Church in Papua New Guinea says it believes Australia is using cruel conditions to coerce Manus Island asylum seekers into repatriation."
10.01.2022 A few days ago a group of representatives from across the Catholic community in Australia visited PNG to listen, pray and express solidarity with people seeking asylum and refugees and gain a better understanding of the human experience and complexities of the situation. We were hosted by the Catholic Bishops Conference PNG and Solomon Islands in Port Moresby, and met with many in the Catholic community in PNG who have faithfully been visiting, providing assistance and advoc...ating for change for those refugees and people seeking asylum in PNG over the past seven years. Catholic Alliance for People Seeking Asylum - CAPSA played a coordinating role for this visit, and continues to advocate that all people seeking asylum are processed promptly, and while they live the community. The group included: Bishop Vincent Long OFM Conv, Chairman of the @Australian Catholic Bishops Conference for Social Justice Mission and Service, Bishop of Diocese of Parramatta; Sr Mary-Clare Holland op, Council member of Catholic Religious Australia, Prioress, Dominican Sisters of Eastern Australia and the Solomon Islands; Fr Tom McDonough cp, Council member of Catholic Religious Australia, Provincial Superior, The Passionists: Holy Spirit Province (Aus, NZ, PNG, VN) Fr Peter Smith, Promoter of Justice and Peace from @JusticeAndPeaceOffice, Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney Fr Gerry Heffernan of St Joseph and St Anthony Parish, Bracken Ridge Carolina Gottardo, co-convener of CAPSA and Director of Jesuit Refugee Service 'JRS' Australia Josh Lourensz, CAPSA’s national coordinator, Jesuit Social Services https://cathnews.com//36572-delegation-meets-asylum-seeker
08.01.2022 People seeking asylum, their families and children must receive the support they need during these trying times of the COVID-19 pandemic. We have joined Jesuit Refugee Service 'JRS' Australia and Jesuit Social Services to encourage schools to organise and hold a range of activities to stand in solidarity for people seeking asylum and their children with a focus on raising awareness of the #NoChildLeftBehind campaign. Read more: https://jss.org.au/national-week-of-solidarity-2020/
08.01.2022 In addition to the hardships that their condition entails, they are often looked down upon and considered the source of all society’s ills, Francis said. He said that the plight of migrants is an invitation for Catholics to reclaim essential dimensions of our Christian existence and our humanity. Pope Francis reminds us, in his speech and in an ongoing way through the art he commissioned, that migrants, refugees and people seeking asylum are humans with unique gifts and i...nherent dignity. It is a difficult time for people seeking asylum - the Medevac repeal bill is likely to be debated in the senate in early November, there are many struggling to find work and are at risk of destitution due to the government taking away support and a safety net, and there is a long wait time for processing, not to mention the uncertainty faced by those who have only received temporary protection. This artwork is a timely reminder for us to join together to "reclaim essential dimensions of our Christian existence and our humanity" by working to welcome, protect, promote and integrate those who seek protection and a 'normal' life. https://www.huffingtonpost.com.au//angels-unaware-statue-p
07.01.2022 After work this Wednesday three members of the recent Catholic delegation to PNG will speak about their trip and what can be done together to improve the situation. Head down to hear from: Bishop Vincent Long, Diocese of Parramatta Fr Peter Smith, Justice and Peace Office - Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney Behrouz Boochani, Journalist and Author (via video-link)... Carolina Gottardo, Jesuit Refugee Service 'JRS' Australia This discussion will happen in Sydney, hosted by the Justice and Peace Office from 5.30pm, Wednesday 4th December at the Polding Centre, level 8, 133 Liverpool St, Sydney.
07.01.2022 Great to see the Australian Catholic University 2019 Vice-Chancellor’s Medal for Excellence go to the Refugee Law Project - Associate Professor Catherine Renshaw and Mr Dominic Cudmore. This project sees law students at the University provide support and accompaniment to people seeking asylum as they navigate court processes.
06.01.2022 Join Julie Edwards, CEO of Jesuit Social Services in conversation with Josh Lourensz, who recently traveled with a CAPSA-coordinated delegation to PNG and be a part of a breakfast discussion of what the situation is like and what can be done to improve the situation for refugees and people seeking asylum who have been placed offshore. This event will happen from 7.45am - 9am, Tuesday 17th December at the Jesuit Social Services Central Office Board Room, 326 Church St, behind St Ignatius Church in Melbourne. All Welcome. https://capsa.org.au/the-situation-for-refugees-in-png-a-b/
05.01.2022 "What will happen now? The people stuck offshore will continue to decline. The doctors will continue to write reports and the lawyers will continue to bring the cases. These are actions that simply should not be necessary in a country that is acting as a responsible player on the international stage. I do think those who knowingly spoke half-truths and ignored the overwhelming evidence presented to the Senate committee looking at the medical care of refugees should hang their heads in shame." https://www.theguardian.com//those-who-helped-the-medevac-
03.01.2022 A great example of the Catholic community working together to welcome people seeking asylum. We all have opportunities, in the words of Pope Francis, to encounter and welcome, protect, promote and integrate people seeking asylum, refugees and migrants. http://www.vatican.va//papa-francesco_20170815_world-migra
03.01.2022 The work to find a home and adequate medical care for those caught in Australia's offshore processing system continues. Andy Hamilton SJ offers his analysis of what the Medevac repeal shows about us as a nation.
03.01.2022 Youth advocacy! Two Year 10 students named Harrison Clubb & Nicholas Boyer from Saint Ignatius’ College, Riverview made a fantastic film that was shown to 1600 ...people at a school assembly as part of the JRS Youth Award Program. The Program allows students to engage and raise awareness in their school communities on forced displacement and people seeking asylum. It is also for students to develop their leadership skills on social justice issues. JRS deeply appreciates the support of the school, including all the staff, as well as the 220 students who all made terrific multimedia projects putting their social justice values into practice. We thank you all! To watch the film, click here: https://drive.google.com//1w5yDBrI3xZx9LmFTJQzb_J/preview
03.01.2022 CAPSA's Christmas statement for 2019 is here: "Enough is enough. Let’s offer a future and hope for these men and women this Christmas season." https://capsa.org.au/the-catholic-alliance-for-people-seek/
02.01.2022 Last night a vigil took place outside Parliament house, organised by Rural Australians for Refugees to draw attention to the ongoing necessity of the provision of medical transfer for those in offshore detention. Bishop Vincent Long of the Diocese of Parramatta, who recently traveled to PNG to visit and stand in solidarity with refugees and people seeking asylum, was in attendance, along with others from the Catholic community who turned out in support of compassion. https://www.sbs.com.au//we-speak-for-the-quiet-australians
01.01.2022 CAPSA stands with the medical community the 5000 doctors who have spoken out, the 13 peak medical colleges, and the Australian Medical Association in their calls for medical treatment and a safe and secure future for the people detained offshore. The Refugee Sector is asking for supporters to call Minister Peter Dutton and the Prime Minister to ask for permanent and secure resettlement for these men and women. RCOA have put some instructions to assist with preparing to make a phone call to their offices here: https://action.refugeecouncil.org.au/medevac_call
01.01.2022 "May the Son of God, come down to earth from heaven, protect and sustain all those who, due to these and other injustices, are forced to emigrate in the hope of a secure life," the pontiff said from the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica https://www.npr.org//in-christmas-day-message-pope-francis
