By Mark Bowling
THE High Court ruling that offshore detention is lawful, has sparked Australia-wide protests and galvanised Church and community support for asylum seekers.
In Brisbane, several hundred people rallied outside St John’s Cathedral on February 8, while more than 400 people crowded the entrance to the Department of Immigration offices on February 5 to condemn the Federal Government plan to return about 270 vulnerable people to Nauru including 91 children and 37 babies born in Australia.
Outside the Department of Immigration offices, protestors chanted “Let them stay”.
Catholic Mission director David McGovern said the rally demonstrated strong community support for a more caring solution.
“This rally is saying we could do better than this,” Mr McGovern said.
“We are a better society than this we are a better world, we are a better church when we actually open our homes, we actually open our hearts to those who come in need. This what this rally was saying.”
However, it appears the Federal Government is not prepared to soften its stand. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, renewed his government’s position, warning of a “colossal humanitarian disaster” if the group of asylum seekers was not returned to Nauru.
A spokesman for the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference, Bishop Vincent Long, himself a former refugee, has called on the Government to focus on protecting asylum seekers and respecting their human dignity.
“I urge the Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Minister for Immigration Peter Dutton to show compassion and mercy towards these families and not act in a way that will cause even more harm than has been done already,” he said.
Bishop Long said the Church was prepared to collaborate with other community organisations to provide support for asylum seekers.
“I urge the Australian Government to ensure that no child is subject to an unsafe and harmful environment and that no-one is returned to where they may face physical, psychological and sexual violence and harm,” he said.
“The Catholic Church opposes mandatory detention and offshore detention because these policy responses do not respect the dignity of people seeking our help.
“Governments have a responsibility to manage migration flows, but the Australian Government’s current approach is harsh and should change.”
Addressing the Brisbane rally, the Anglican Dean of Brisbane, Dr Peter Catt said asylum seekers’ safety could not be guaranteed on Nauru.
“The gospel is all about human flourishing and these people will not flourish if they’re sent back to Nauru,” he said.
“The bottom line is they’re safe here in Australia and we know Nauru is a very destructive place for vulnerable people.”
Dr Peter Catt has declared St John’s Anglican Cathedral in Brisbane a place of sanctuary.
Historically churches have offered sanctuary to those fleeing violence and persecution, Dr Catt said.
Refugee Council of Australia chief executive officer Paul Power said, “We urge the Government to consider the best interests of these children, and their families and do everything in their power to ensure their safety and protection, by keeping them in Australia.
“Despite the extraordinary efforts the Australian Government has gone to in attempting to keep the horrifying abuse in Australia’s offshore detention camps a secret, we know that people sent there by Australia cannot have their safety assured.”
The Catholic Alliance for People Seeking Asylum (CAPSA) has also condemned the Australian Government’s plans to return vulnerable people to Nauru.
CAPSA was founded on a number of principles, including the desire for Australia to lead a more humane, ordered response to processing the claims of people seeking asylum.
CAPSA said that people who come to Australia seeking protection should not be transferred from Australian territory to other nations for processing or protection unless there is a firm regional agreement assuring that they will have equivalent rights and support in the countries to which they are transferred, and that they will be promptly resettled if found to be refugees.
CAPSA said that arbitrary or indefinite detention at any stage of the refugee determination process is unacceptable and that children should not be held in detention in Australia or in offshore detention centres, but housed in the Australian community with the full range of services necessary for their welfare.
Catholic Social Services and St Vincent de Paul Society have also joined other Australian international aid and community sector agencies in support of churches across the country who are opening their doors to asylum seekers facing removal back to offshore detention centres.
Together with ACOSS, Australian Council for International Development, Anglicare Australia, Mission Australia, Oxfam Australia, Save the Children, and World Vision, they urged the Australian government to allow the families and their children to stay in Australia.
Two of Australia’s largest Catholic healthcare organisations have also offered to provide medical support to any of the 267 asylum seekers applying for church sanctuary to avoid their forced removal to Nauru and are encouraging other hospital groups to do the same.
St Vincent’s Health Australia – which has hospitals in NSW, Queensland and Victoria – and Calvary Health Care – which has hospitals in NSW, Tasmania, South Australia, Victoria and the ACT – said their decision to offer medical support to those seeking church sanctuary reflected their “sacred duty’ as healing organisations.
