Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Sydney (Agenzia Fides) - In Australia on the occasion of the closing of a National Week for Refugees, Catholic realities, human rights activists and organisation and agencies for refugees appealed to the new prime minister, Julia Gillard, to take the question of refugees, especially illegal immigrants to heart. Although four out of five immigrants arrive by air rather than by sea, Australians seem more concerned about the latter said Marist Father Jim Carty who assists local and foreign migrants. Fr. Jim, who has just spent nine weeks on Christmas Island has joined the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Australia and refugee groups, in an appeal to the government to avoid any sort of demonisation and stereotypes and to not use these people as “ political capital”.
“The issue of asylum-seekers must be tackled with rationality not with emotionality,” said Fr. Jim who warned about a possible return of a “campaign of terror ” which not only demonised illegal immigrants, it called them terrorists. “Having worked with refugees since 1979, abroad and in Australia, and as former coordinator of the House of Welcome, and ecumenical centre supported by the Archbishop of Sydney which assists refugees and persons waiting for a vista, Fr. Jim fears a return of the Pacific Solution of the previous government which tried illegal immigrants on the islands, such as Nauru. The practice proved to be traumatic and painful for people already seriously traumatised, 74 were children, who developed forms of mental infirmity. Moreover it is expensive: Australians were paying for three or four years of prison on the islands.
Bishop Joe Grech, spokesman of the Bishops' Conference for asylum seeking refugees, supporting the point of view of Bishop Christopher Saunders, President of the Australian Social Justice Commission, said the Catholic Church has always considered asylum seekers as human persons and that as such they must be treated. The president of the Refugee Council of Australia, John Gibson, added that it would help if the new prime minister were to increase awareness among the public of the fact that the number of asylum seekers arriving in Australia is insignificant compared to the rest of the world. “Many Australians fail to understand that migration is strength for the nation ” said Fr Maurizio Pettena, director of the Australian Catholic Migrant and Refugee Office, underlining the fact that these people are hard working, seriously committed to the Australian community and make a considerable contribute to the industry of the country. (AP) (25/6/2010 Agenzia Fides)
