THE St Vincent de Paul Society has called on the Federal Government to listen to public sentiment and scrap its Malaysian and Manus Island deals before more refugees suffer needlessly in mandatory detention.
While members of the society were awaiting a mid-week ruling by the High Court of Australia on the lawfulness of the Malaysian deal, chief executive Dr John Falzon said the Government could choose to act sooner to end the cycle of punishing asylum seekers.
“It is never too late for Australia to rethink its position on human rights; it could be done today,” Dr Falzon said. “The St Vincent de Paul Society is calling on both the Government and Opposition to abandon their policies of off-shore processing and mandatory detention.”
A deal was signed in late July, for Australia to send 800 asylum seekers, who entered Australia by boat, to Malaysia for processing and in return allow to 4000 refugees approved by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to enter Australia over the next four years.
The Australian High Court however extended a temporary block on the exchange of a group of asylum seekers, including six children, with Malaysia pending a full hearing of a case on the legality of the deal. A hearing before the seven justices of the High Court took place on August 22.
The court reserved its judgement, which was expected to be handed down around August 31.
Dr Falzon said the St Vincent de Paul Society welcomed the 4000 refugees living in Malaysia who were guaranteed settlement under the deal, but deplored the Australian Government’s plan to conduct a “people swap”.
“People fleeing persecution have a legitimate right to seek asylum in our country,” he said.
“The continued mandatory detention of adults and, particularly of children, is of deep concern to society members.”
Vinnies’ national president Anthony Thornton said far from being a “backflip” the scrapping of the Malaysian deal would be an act of compassion by the Government.
“It would give us all hope – hope that Australia’s international reputation as a fair and just society can be reinstated and hope for families and unaccompanied minors who make the journey to this country, often from war-torn and strife-riddled homelands, seeking a place of safety,” Mr Thornton said.
Meanwhile in Brisbane, Catholic Education executive director David Hutton has urged Brisbane Catholic school communities to make themselves aware of the factual information on the issue of asylum seekers.
Mr Hutton said the reality was quite different from the fearful and misleading material in the media.
“Last week at our Leadership Forum (principals’ meeting) we were led in a reflection on religious leadership by Phil Glendenning, director of the Edmund Rice Centre in Sydney (who) highlighted the social action and social justice dimensions of the religious life of our schools,” he said.
“Phil also shared his extensive experience of working with asylum seekers and refugees.
“I think most of those present were surprised, even shocked to hear some of the facts about boat people, the process of seeking asylum and some of the basic statistics about the issue.
“I know many of our schools are doing great work with refugee families.
“Those of us who have heard their stories cannot but be distressed at the lives of persecution, fear and violence that most of them have left in their home countries.
“Our bishops have urged a reasoned and compassionate response to the asylum-seeker issue.
“I encourage you to read the document produced by the Edmund Rice Centre (http://www.refugeeaction.org
/downloads/debunking_myths.pdf) which provides important factual information on this issue.”
Long-time advocate for refugees and asylum seekers and former information officer for Brisbane’s Romero Centre Frederika Steen said the forced transportation of asylum seekers to Malaysia risked the rest of the world misjudging the decency of most Australians.
“It would send a clear message to the civilised world: the Government of Australia is prepared to set aside its legal obligations to children seeking asylum alone and a few thousand other potential Afghan, Iranian, Tamil and Iraqi refugees in the cause of political grovelling to those voters who value toughness, and neither know the law or care about universal human rights.”
Ms Steen said that, in Brisbane, about 100 volunteers were working with the Romero Centre helping to normalise the lives of asylum seekers at the Brisbane Immigration Transit Accommodation at Pinkenba.
