Archbishop steps into fray over detainees

Sydney
10 February 2002

Archbishop steps into fray over detainees

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Archbishop steps into fray over detainees

By Kathleen Carmody

The Archbishop of Sydney, Dr George Pell, has added his voice to the growing chorus of concern about conditions in immigration detention centres, especially at Woomera in South Australia.
Archbishop Pell joined the Australian Catholic Bishops' Conference, the Australian Conference of Leaders of Religious Institutes and a number of Catholic welfare agencies in calling on the Federal Government to review its policy of mandatory detention because of the excessive human cost.
"Innocent people are suffering," the archbishop said. "The policy of deterrence is imposing a disproportionate suffering on these people."
He said detainees needed to be given a sense of hope, which could involve processing the applications of Afghanis more quickly.
"These people are not terrorists," he said. "They're not criminals or soldiers in an opposing army; they've made the mistake of wanting to come here and live here."
The bishops, the religious institute leaders, Centacare, the St Vincent de Paul Society, the Australian Catholic Migrant and Refugee Office, the Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace, Catholic Social Services and Catholic Welfare Australia have all raised concerns about conditions in detention centres.
The president of the bishops' conference, Archbishop Francis Carroll, said that there was growing unease in the Australian community about the situation in Woomera and other centres.
"I urge the government to respect the human dignity and rights of the asylum seekers, hear their cries for help, and to heed the disquiet of the community," he said.
"I also urge the government to avail itself of the offers of practical assistance from the many groups that wish to assist in the care of the asylum seekers.
"The Catholic community and its agencies are more than ready to work with the Government and other bodies to bring relief and support."
The archbishop suggested the Government consider giving Afghani asylum seekers the 'safe haven' status it allowed Kosovar and East Timorese refugees, until the situation in Afghanistan was resolved.
"The tragic plight of the asylum seekers, especially the women and children, calls for an immediate and compassionate response," he said.
Sr Mary Cresp, executive director of the Conference of Leaders of Religious Institutes, said there were alternative models for assessing the claims of asylum seekers which were humane and did not require children and families to be held in isolated jail-like conditions for months or years on end.
"To continue with the punishment model because it is seen as a vote-winner ensues in great human cost, degrades our standing as a people and shows us to be morally bankrupt," Sr Mary said.
Catholic Welfare Australia has called for the immediate release of women and children from detention and the expeditious processing of applications.
Processing of visas has now resumed.
The Federal Government is offering repatriation bonuses to encourage Afghan detainees to return home voluntarily.
The Immigration Detention Advisory Group has warned, however, that the detainees do not have a sense yet that their homeland is a safe, secure and predictable place to which they could be returned.
There are conflicting assessments of the relative safety and security in Afghanistan today.
The honorary consul for Afghanistan, Mahmoud Saikal, says the country is not prepared yet for their resettlement.
But the country's interim leader, President Hamid Karzai, is reported to have told Prime Minister John Howard "that people ought to be coming back".
Immigration Minister Philip Ruddock says the issue is the same as that faced with Kosovar refugees. "Who's going to play a role in rebuilding Afghanistan? Does it have to be rebuilt for people before people go back?"