Media Releases
Bishops welcome acceptance of refugees from Nauru and Manus
The Immigration Minister’s decision to resettle in Australia the remaining
refugees being held in processing centres on Manus Island and Nauru and to
mothball the Manus Centre was a welcome step in the right direction, the Catholic
Church said today.
Bishops’ Committee for Migrants and Refugees Chairman, Bishop Joseph
Grech, said the Catholic Bishops had consistently called for the government
to drop its so-called Pacific Solution of processing asylum seekers in offshore
centres.
“I welcome Mr Ruddock’s statement that the remaining refugees
in the off-shore processing centres at Manus (PNG) and Nauru, who are not being
considered for resettlement in other countries, will be invited to complete
applications for visas to Australia,” Bishop Grech said.
“I also welcome the Minister’s announcement that the Manus Centre
will be wound down.”
Bishop Grech drew attention to the 2002 Australian Catholic Bishops’ Statement
on Refugees and Asylum Seekers.
In it, the Bishops called for an abandonment of the practice of escorting
asylum seekers to other countries such as Nauru and Papua New Guinea.
“This is an unconscionable practice,” they said.
Bishop Grech noted that the Minister’s latest statement did not ensure
an abandonment of the practice, but that it was a step in the right direction.
He said that people who had been found to be refugees, such as those on Nauru
and in Papua New Guinea, should be welcomed to Australia and given every assistance
when they arrived here.
For comment please contact:
Bishop Joseph Grech on 03 5441 2544 or Fr John Murphy on 0418 224 524
|
