A top immigration official recommends more community based schemes for processing asylum claims and raises questions about the effectiveness of unnecessary detention. Will our politicians listen? Doesn’t take much to blow out a candle. I’m indebted to Jack Smit of SafeCom for posting the following transcript. Check out SafeCom, by the way – it’s oneContinue reading “At last – a candle lit in the darkness!”
Category Archives: refugees
Nothing personal!
The High Court of Australia has several interesting cases before it right now. I’ve already pinpointed the challenge to the federally funded School Chaplaincy Program. Rocking the boat is a very succinct article on the current injunction to halt the Malaysia refugee swap scheme on the basis that the Australian government does notContinue reading “Nothing personal!”
First & Last Peoples
What is an Aboriginal view concerning asylum seekers? Ironically, while mainstream Australia quakes at the prospect of the “great invasion” by leaky boats, our first peoples (who have an outstanding and legitimate claim to having been invaded by “boat people”) are more accommodating. Here is a brilliant speech by Lowitja O’Donoghue: Return to Afghanistan: resettlementContinue reading “First & Last Peoples”
Report on Children in Immigration Detention
The government proposed deadline for removing children from immigration detention centres is only 2 days away. In March, The Minister for Immigration told parliament all was on track for this to occur. A more recent report by the Australian Government to the UNHRC admits that this deadline will notContinue reading “Report on Children in Immigration Detention”
Toiling against the spin…
There is an unsound mythology surrounding Australia-bound asylum seekers that is taking a few hits this week. Tonight SBS will screen the final episode of its three part series, Go back to where you came from. There has been much conversation around my neck of the woods as folk from all walks of life have beenContinue reading “Toiling against the spin…”
Going back to “where they came from”…
This looks like a “must see” for all who have minds made up about “fake asylum seekers”, “queue jumpers” and “economic refugees.’ Six Aussies take the reverse journey, starting with a leaky boat, transiting through refugee staging areas to lands of origin, in order to see for themselves…
Asylum seeker smoke and mirrors coming undone
Maybe the checks and balances in our current political machinery will eventually prevent the execution of this heinous scheme. Hope springs eternal, for I don’t see how UNHCR guidelines can support what our government has in mind. Asylum-seeker swap deal must have UNHCR approval: Doug Cameron | The Australian.
A hint of a silver lining…
Welcome to Australia – unity and diversity « Call to radical discipleship. The melancholy cloud that began my week re Australia’s asylum seeker treatment got a hint of a silver lining this morning when the above post from my nephew, Mark, lit up my screen. It showed what is still possible when we operate onContinue reading “A hint of a silver lining…”
Asylum seekers go from nothing to zero under cruel policy
Asylum seekers go from nothing to zero under cruel policy. Some have already dismissed the above referenced article because it is written by a former prime minister whose approach to immigration was more draconian than now. Some folks are tired of me posting and referring to articles on this topic. “Give it a rest,” they say.Continue reading “Asylum seekers go from nothing to zero under cruel policy”
So where to now on refugee policy?
REFUGEE PROTECTION NEEDS IGNORED IN RUSH TO ‘STOP THE BOATS’ A joint statement by Australian non-government organisations You get to the place where you feel you can write nothing more about the shameful asylum seeker detention regime – especially when long-standing champions of advocacy plead that even the Nauru strategy is preferable to the latest sleightContinue reading “So where to now on refugee policy?”
Wondering Pilgrim 