SBS News reported on 14 January 2020, that the federal government’s power to detain and deport refugees who commit crimes in Australia has been severely curtailed by a federal court ruling.  Since 2014 the Government has been making the interpretation of ‘character grounds’ ever more strict and has used this interpretation to cancel or deny visas for thousands of refugees.

"Access to decent work is not only important for economic security, but also health and well-being. It’s increasingly being recognised as a human right."Asylum Seekers need our support to find and secure employment that is relevant to their skills and knowledge, so that they can support their families and contribute to the community in a way that is rewarding for them. Read more from The Conversation, here.

"The time span is significant and they have weathered many storms. There have been waves of protest, mental illness and self-harm. They have seen riots, death and brutality, and received hospitality and disdain in seemingly equal measure. They have often been dismissed, but at other times listened to and heard across the world." A powerful written piece by Josh Lourensz of Catholic Alliance for People Seeking Asylum about his recent visit with refugees and asylum seekers in PNG. 

Brigidine Asylum Seeker Project (BASP) continues to play a vita role in supporting some of our most vulnerable communities members. We are reminded that "donations are not always about money". They've provided a comprehensive list of practical ways we can show our support, from a spare room, to cleaning products and specific household items. 

Unfortunately for the asylum seekers detained in our detention centres, and those trying to come to Australia, our governments, and certain sections of the Australian media, have successfully spread myths concerning them that have become entrenched in the minds of a majority of the Australian voters. The Brigidine Asylum Seeker Project outlines some of the myths and the actual facts that refute them, here.

Fr Samir Haddad, Parish Priest, St Joseph’s Melkite Catholic Church, Fairfield and the Australian Syrian Charity invite you to attend this fundraising dinner to welcome new Syrian refugees to Australia, and to strengthen relationships between the Australian and Syrian communities.

Six years on from Kevin Rudd's announcement that asylum seekers arriving by boat would never be resettled in Australia, Josh Lourensz of Catholic Alliance for People Seeking Asylum - CAPSA reflects in EurekaStreet on his 2012 stint working on Manus and the 'Frankenstein' of Australian offshore processing.

"I say with many of my fellow Australians, enough is enough," states Bishop Vincent Long OFM Conv in his statement on the 6th Anniversary of Australia’s Mandatory and Indefinite Offshore Detention Policy. The weekend of 20/21 July 2019 marks the sixth anniversary of former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd’s announcement that no person seeking asylum by boat would ever be resettled in Australia.

"Refugees are not a number nor a problem but are persons, each of whom is precious, each of whom has a story, each of whom makes a claim on us as fellow human beings," writes Fr Andrew Hamilton SJ. "In Australia some refugees have been accepted in Australia from refugee camps. Others are not recognised as refugees. Some are found in detention centres; others live in the community, relying on charity for themselves and their families. Some still live on Manus Island and on Nauru."

“Our response to the challenges posed by contemporary migration can be summed up in four verbs: welcome, protect, promote and integrate,” states Pope Francis in his Message for the 105th World Day of Migrants and Refugees, celebrated on Sunday 25 August 2019. This takes place during Migrant and Refugee Week, marked by the Catholic Church in Australia from 19 - 25 August. The Australian Catholic Migrant and Refugee Office has released a comprehensive resource kit for Migrant and Refugee Week.