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Media Releases and Open Letters on Asylum Issues:
(August 2007)
A CWS/NCCA Briefing Paper on the current situation released to coincide with the Assyrian Christian rally in Canberra on 7 August outside Parliament House to raise awareness of the persecution of Christians and other minorities in Iraq.
A Call to Assist Christians and Religious Minorities in Iraq:
(6 August 2007)
“Iraq is hemorrhaging. We must recognise that there is a grave and escalating humanitarian crisis to be addressed. Not since 1948 has the Middle East seen so many people forced to flee their homes,” said Mr. Henderson. As both a coalition member and an influential member of the international community, Australia must do more to address the humanitarian crisis in Iraq and its neighbouring countries,” said the Revd. John Henderson, General Secretary of the National Council of Churches in Australia (NCCA).
The recent 6th National Forum of the NCCA, agreed to encourage member Churches “to pray for Christians and other religious minorities in Iraq”; and “to do whatever is in their power to urge the Australian Government and other governments to assist refugees, particularly Christians who have been singled out for persecution in the Middle East, by providing financial assistance and granting humanitarian and other visas.” More...
Church Heads Urge Government to Revise Extended Pacific Solution for Refugees:
(14 June 2006)
Leaders of 7 Australian Churches have collectively written to the Prime Minister John Howard, expressing their opposition to the changes proposed to Australia’s processing of asylum seekers. The changes mean Australia will send asylum seekers who arrive here to Nauru until their claims are processed. “If this new Bill passes into legislation, it will effectively mean that Australia will cease to be a place of refuge for those directly fleeing from violence and persecution,” said Revd. John Henderson, General Secretary of the NCCA. More ...
(13 April 2006)
Today the Federal Government announcement to expand the Pacific Solution to ALL unauthorised asylum seekers arriving in Australia (not just Islands off Australia's northern coastline) will require excising the Australian mainland from our Migration Act. From now on, undocumented asylum seekers will be intercepted by the Navy and forcibly transferred to Pacific Islands such as Manus and Nauru and will be detained not only until their processing is complete, but most likely until a resettlement country is found that is willing to take them. Australia is yet to find a resettlement country willing to take refugees intercepted as part of the Pacific Solution as it is seen as Australia's responsibility to offer resettlement and protection. More...
World Council of Churches Statement on the Responsibility to Protect
Ministerial Consultations held in Melbourne:
(23 February 2006)
Each year, the Minister holds face-to-face Consultations with peak bodies to obtain feedback on Australia's Onshore and Offshore Programs. This meeting provides the NCCA with the opportunity to share its views on Australia's response to refugees and asylum seekers and covers issues such as detention, temporary protection, bridging visas, as well as issues related to Australia's resettlement program such as the size and composition of the program, how to best target those in greatest need of resettlement and the provision of settlement services in Australia. The meeting operates under Chatham House rules.
DIMA IGO NGO Consultations held:
(24 Febuary 2006)
Twice-yearly, the Department of Immigration holds consultations with Non-Governmental and Inter-Governmental Organisations on the Australia's Onshore and Offshore Programs. This day-long meeting provides the NCCA with the opportunity to share its views on Australia's onshore asylum program and offshore resettlement program. The meeting operates under Chatham House rules.
NCCA has voiced its concerns over the failings of Ministerial Descretion in its Submission to the Senate Legal and Constitutional Affiars Reference Committee Inquiry into the Administration and Operation of the Migration Act (1958) - the submission looks at detention, the Pacific Solution, bridging visas and focuses on the shortcomings of Ministerial Descretion and the need to introduce complementary protection visas (see issues page for more on complementary protection). NCCA has been invited to give evidence before the Inquiry in September 2005.
(25 May 2005)
The NCCA today congratulated Liberal backbenchers for announcing two private members' bills to reform Australia's system of mandatory, indefinite and non-reviewable detention and restore access to permanent visas for refugees in need of Australia's protection.
World Council of Churches (WCC) network on uprooted peoples speaks out on detention of asylum seekers and migrants - 5 Oct 2005 - WCC Media Release - Deep concern about "the increasing use of detention to restrict and deter cross-border movement by asylum seekers and other migrants" prompted the WCC's Global Ecumenical Network on Uprooted Peoples to circulate a statement on this issue at a meeting in Geneva this week of the United Nations High Commission for Refugees' Executive Committee. The full text of the WCC-GEN statement is available on the WCC website at: http://wcc-coe.org/wcc/what/regional/uprooted/gen-unhcr.html - The GEN brings together regional and national ecumenical networks on uprooted people in Africa, Asia, Australia, North America, the Caribbean, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, and the Pacific. Representatives of Roman Catholic organizations, some Christian world communions, and church-related agencies also participate. The GEN meets every year to review the global situation and future trends affecting uprooted people, to share information, and to determine church responses to the needs of uprooted people.
(25 May 2005)
The NCCA today congratulated Liberal backbenchers for announcing two private members' bills to reform Australia's system of mandatory, indefinite and non-reviewable detention and restore access to permanent visas for refugees in need of Australia's protection.
Responding to government plans to release some long-term detainees, James Thomson, refugee spokesperson for the NCCA said it fell well short of expectations. "While we are happy that some of Australia's longest serving detainees may finally be released, the announcement fails to give these people a future, some of whom are stateless and literally have no country willing to accept them. It does not create any limit to detention let alone the three-year limit proposed. It does not provide legal protection for stateless people, which under international law should be granted permanent residence, but under Australian law are subject to indefinite detention unless the Minister grants a visa. The Minister's powers are non-appealable and non-compellable and there is no public accountability or transparency regarding decision-making."
"Those released have no access to permanent visas so will still live in fear of being returned. They will have no family reunion or right to re-enter Australia if they leave so will have to give up any hope of protection in Australia if they want to see their family members. Last, but not least, Australia's system of mandatory, indefinite and non-reviewable detention remains in place awaiting more entrants." More…
(14 July 2004)
Australian Churches have received the recent Federal Government’s announcement about TPV holders with cautious optimism. They welcome any policy change that helps relieve the suffering of refugee and asylum seekers. However, they are concerned that whatever the motivation, these changes do not go far enough, and that Australia will continue to treat people who are not criminals as though they were.
(13 May 2004)
Following the release of the Human Rights Commission’s damning finding of Federal Government responsibility for cases of cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment of detained asylum seeker children, the National Council of Churches in Australia (NCCA) has backed the Commission’s one-month deadline for the release of all children and their families.
(17 December 2003)
Letter to Prime Minister John Howard on Excising 4,000 Islands and Turning Back 14 Kurdish Asylum Seekers:
(17 December 2003) (not public)
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