Ten Anglican and Uniting churches in Australia have offered sanctuary to traumatised and abused asylum seekers who are set to be returned to Nauru.
A recent Australian court decision stated the lawfulness of the offshore detention regime on Nauru.
This means 267 asylum seekers on mainland Australia could be returned there.
But 10 Anglican and Uniting churches around the country have offered sanctuary to the asylum seekers who are at risk of being returned.
The concept of church sanctuary has no basis in Australian law.
But immigration minister Peter Dutton said the government would not be “dragging people out of churches”.
He said that the people’s cases would be considered individually on medical advice.