(Vatican Radio) Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd says his government is working
through a report from the United Nations, which criticises the Australian-run asylum-seeker
processing centre in Papua New Guinea. Issued on Friday of last week by the United
Nations High Commission for Refugees, UNHCR, the report was critical of the temporary
centre on Papua New Guinea's Manus Island, saying it fails to meet international protection
standards. Listen to our report:
UNHCR spokesman
Adrian Edwards described conditions at the centre:
“Living conditions are still
harsh, processing remains slow and asylum-seekers are growing despondent over the
lack of certainty about their future. The team observed cramped living quarters, especially
for the single men who live in canvas tents. They told UNHCR that each tent accommodated
four to six men, it was especially hot from late afternoon into the night. Many also
expressed concern about hygiene issues related to ablutions and bathroom facilities,
food preparation, and poor access to medical services."
Speaking in Port Moresby
on Monday together with his counterpart from Papua New Guinea, Prime Minister Peter
O'Neill, Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd thanked UNHCR for their work in the
report, and said his government is studying the report’s recommendations, promising
to work together with Papua New Guinea to address the issue.
The Catholic Church
in Australia has been critical of the Manus Island facility, and of government attempts
generally to reduce the influx of migrants attempting to reach Australian shores without
going through official immigration channels.
Below, please find the full text
of a statement from the Australian Catholic Bishops' Conference Migrant and Refugee
Office, AMCRO, on the bishops' preferred policy of hosting asylum-seekers in community.
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Support
for hosting asylum seekers in the community
Media Release 28 February
2013
The Australian Catholic Migrant and Refugee Office fully support the
current policy of hosting asylum seekers in the community on bridging visas and in
community residence determination. We have great respect for the decision to increase
Australia’s humanitarian intake to 20,000 each year and also believe it is appropriate
for Australia to defend the right of all people to seek asylum. “Asylum seekers
are not criminals and should not be treated as such. The suggestion that serious crimes
committed by one asylum seekers gives grounds for treating all asylum seekers as criminals
is greatly concerning” said Fr Maurizio Pettenà, Director of ACMRO.
“The hosting
of asylum seekers in the community is an entirely appropriate, effective and humane
way for Australia to respond. We have thousands of Australians who have volunteered
their time to help asylum seekers and in the process have developed wonderful friendships”
said Fr Pettenà. Helping asylum seekers to rebuild their lives and become fully
contributing members of the local community is both a joy and wonderful gift for Catholics
to be a part of, "whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters
of mine, you did for me.” Mt 25:40
"The fact remains that current policies
on boarder control are already too tough," said Fr Pettenà.
"The continued
use of mandatory and indefinite immigration detention have witnessed several suicides
in immigration detention and countless self-harm incidents, many involving children
in just the last three years alone. On top of this children and families continue
to be detained in remote regional areas and more recently on Nauru and Manus Island
under appalling conditions” he said. “After hearing stories of asylum seekers
and the terrible misery and violence they escape from, it is heart breaking to witness
the hostile way asylum seekers are treated once they arrive in Australia” he said.
“Calls for further toughening of asylum policy are incredibly disappointing
because they reflect a policy of fear rather than one of welcoming and are been pursued
at the expense of human dignity and the moral obligation to afford protection for
the most vulnerable” said Fr Pettenà.