HEAD of the Australian Catholic Bishops’ Committee for Migrants and Refugees, Bishop Joseph Grech, has renewed a call for the nation to adopt immigration policies that are more just and compassionate.
Bishop Grech of Sandhurst, in his message for Refugee and Migrant Sunday which is being celebrated by the Church in Australia today, repeats the call which the bishops made on May 14 in a statement on refugees and asylum seekers.
‘We called for the nation’s response to asylum seekers to be just, compassionate and consistent with Australia’s obligations under international law,’ he said.
Bishop Grech said the bishops in May were heartened by the Federal Government’s decision in favour of a small increase in the refugee program for 2004-05.
‘But we expressed the hope that these numbers would increase further in coming years and that Australia would be always ready to respond promptly to crises that produce refugees,’ he said.
Pope John Paul II, in his message for today, ‘Migration with a View to Peace’, said the occasion was a chance to ‘think about a topic that is more important than ever’.
Director of the Australian Catholic Migrants and Refugees Office, Fr John Murphy, said the bishops most recently raised the issue of Australia’s treatment of refugees and asylum seekers in its federal election statement, ‘Having Faith in our Democracy: Building a Better Australia’.
