“It’s time to revive the Tampa spirit and rescue the refugees our Australian neighbours have sent off to rot in hellish prison camps on remote islands like Nauru and Manus,” says columnist Brian Rudman. Amnesty International is calling on New Zealand to take a lead in exerting international pressure on Australia over its detention centre Read more
As representatives from the Society of Jesus gather in Rome from all over the world for their General Congregation, there is a relatively new ministry that they can be very proud of — the Jesuit Refugee Service. This program was initiated by Fr. Pedro Arrupe, the Jesuit superior general, who had seen the devastating impact Read more
Malcolm Turnbull told the UN that our treatment of refugees is world’s best practice. Only a guilty conscience could allow such self deception. In her book ‘Eichmann in Jerusalem’, published in 1963, Hannah Arendt refers to the ‘banality of evil’. Her thesis was that Eichmann was not a fanatic or sociopath, but an extremely stupid Read more
Welcoming refugees with authentic hospitality is “our greatest security against hateful acts of terrorism”, Pope Francis says. He was speaking to alumni of Jesuit schools in Europe who were in Rome for a conference on refugees. The pope said: “I encourage you to welcome refugees into your homes and communities, so that their first experience Read more
Rose Sawaya, principal of the Porirua’s Bishop Viard College, says her school has more refugee students than any other Wellington school. And she is incredibly proud of her school and its students. At a recent mufti day which coincided with International Refugee Day, students shared stories, food and performed cultural dances. Sawaya says a lovely Read more
“We can do it.” These are the four words that are dividing Germany. It has now been exactly one year since Chancellor Angela Merkel announced her motto for overcoming the refugee crisis. Even though many of her critics can no longer stand to hear her “approach to tackling the problem,” as she recently described it Read more
Christian migrants should be given priority over non-Christians in moving to Germany and Islamic face veils should be banned, say German chancellor Angela Merkel’s political allies. The Christian Social Union (CSU), which works alongside Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union party, has demanded the tougher immigration rules and also said that new arrivals must socially integrate and Read more
A refugee-proof wall is about to be built by the UK government outside a huge Calais refugee camp to prevent asylum seekers from entering the United Kingdom. This big new refugee-proof wall will be four-meters high and its construction will begin soon. It is part of a £17-million deal struck between the United Kingdom and Read more
This Thursday the 11th of August I said the prayer to begin the monthly “walk of a mile” by social action groups, mainly women, calling attention to stopping deportations; the separation of families; the freeing those detained in migrant detention centers; and an end to deaths on the border. We walked to the Federal Courthouse Read more
On the weekend, I joined Robert Manne, Tim Costello and John Menadue in calling for an end to the limbo imposed on proven refugees on Nauru and Manus Island. I think this can be done while keeping the boats stopped. I think it ought be done. Appearing on the ABC’s 7.30 program last Thursday, after Read more