REFUGEE Sunday today highlights the challenge facing Australia – to protect or reject refugees, according to the National Council of Churches in Australia (NCCA).
The NCCA raised its concerns over Australia’s treatment of refugees in a statement signed by the heads of member Churches, including Australian Catholic Bishops’ Conference president, Archbishop Francis Carroll of Canberra and Goulburn.
The statement says that last October, Australia and 61 other member states of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) executive committee made an undertaking to protect, rather than reject, refugees when endorsing the Agenda for Protection.
‘Having made the commitment, nations like Australia must now live up to their promises to protect and not reject refugees, and share instead of shift their responsibilities,’ the NCCA statement says.
‘Australia has a strong track record in voluntarily resettling offshore refugees.
‘The Gospel now calls upon us to challenge Australia’s treatment of onshore refugees and asylum seekers.’
The NCCA statement calls for Australia’s system of mandatory, indefinite and non-reviewable detention to be replaced by community release models for children and their families.
