Save the Date
Online Ecumenical Service in Refugee Week. All welcome!
Members of the Australian Churches Refugee Taskforce (ACRT) are working on an online ecumenical service for Refugee Week.
Peter Arndt (Director, Office for Justice, Ecology and Peace, Australian Catholic Bishops Commission for Social Justice, Mission and Service), Rev Deacon Sandy Boyce (Victorian Council of Churches), and Major Karen Elkington (Salvation Army Asylum Seekers Support Services) are planning the service, which will also be available to download.
The ecumenical service will include prayers, shared experiences by those who have been refugees, music and readings.
Theme: Finding Freedom: Family.
Please note the date and time: Thursday 20 June , 7.30pm AEST, 7pm ACST and 5.30pm AWST.
All welcome!
More details to come.
ACRT submission to the Senate Inquiry on the Migration Bill
The Australian Churches Refugee Taskforce (ACRT) made submissions to the recent Senate Inquiry concerning the Migration Amendment (Removals and Other Measures) Bill 2024 (the Bill).
Submissions closed on 12 April 2024, with 121 submissions received from various organisations and individuals across Australia, many submissions addressing concerns regarding the Bill’s stringent changes to the Migration Act.
ACRT's submission concentrated on pivotal concerns regarding the proposed amendments, particularly their ramifications for asylum seekers presently in Australia and potentially for future visa applicants.
The ACRT expressed opposition to the proposed changes, which encompass legislation enabling indefinite detention, incarceration, and the imposition of severe penalties, alongside expanding the minister's authority in unprecedented ways within Australian legislation.
There's mounting concern that the Bill could result in the separation of families and compel individuals to return to situations that may imperil their lives.
ACRT's submission, identified as number 104, is accessible to the public on the Parliamentary website. You can find it here: ACRT NCCA Submission 104 (Australian Churches Refugee Taskforce, National Council of Churches in Australia).
ACRT has provided a resource to aid in composing letters to your local Senator, should you wish to articulate your concerns about this Bill. The resource is available online: ACRT Resource.
If you have any questions, please contact the ACRT via email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Australian Churches Refugee Taskforce (ACRT) is an activity of the National Council of Churches in Australia (NCCA).
We believe our faith calls us to welcome the stranger and care for the people who find themselves displaced, marginalised or homeless, and those in need of protection. We want to see a compassionate and generous response to welcoming refugees into Australia.
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