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refugees and asylum seekers

A water colour image shows a line of diverse people silhouetted standing on the shore of a lake with the sunsetting in front of them. A line of a skyline is in orange across the sky.

World Day of Migrants and Refugees Resource Kit

Migrant and Refugee Sunday is on
25 September. The Australian Catholic Migrants and Refugee Office will release the resource kit for this year’s celebrations on 15 August. The resources centre on this year’s theme, “Building the future with migrants and refugees”. It will include stories from local communities, reflection, primary and secondary schools’ prayer rituals and prayers of the faithful to be used for the 108th World Day of Migrants and Refugees.

Poster for Refugee Week with a light yellow background, picture of a young woman from Sudan in the bottom right corner smiling. The text in the middle of the image reads, "For those who've come from far and wide, we're happy you're safe, we're happy you're free, we're happy you're here. Refugee Week: 19-25 June 2022."

Refugee Week Resources

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The Australian Catholic Migrant and Refugee Office and the ACBC Office for Justice Ecology and Peace have created resources for Refugee Week. Made for parishes and schools, all are invited to the prayer service and to use these great resources with your community.

Close up picture of an Immigration Australia stamp

Faith Leaders Release Statement Calling for the End of TPVs

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Australian faith leaders including Archbishop Coleridge, then President of ACBC, have joined together to call for permanent protection for people on Temporary Protection Visas (TPVs). Even though many people on TPVs are refugees, they are still denied permenant protection and the stability of knowing they can make a long-term home in Australia. Campaign spokesman, Rev. Tim Costello urged political leaders to ‘do something that is ultimately good for all Australians’.

Image promoting the Prayer Service for Refugee Week, 20 June

Refugee Week Prayer Service: 20 June 2022

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You are invited to join the Australian Catholic Migrant and Refugee Office and the Office for Justice, Ecology and Peace for an online prayer service on World Refugee Day. Registration to attend the prayer service which will be broadcast live at 6 pm AEST on 20 June is now open. The two Offices have also combined to produce resources to encourage the celebration of Refugee Week 19-25 June.

The silhouette of a person putting a ballot in a ballot box.

Bishops Call for a Better Kind of Politics

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The Australian Catholic Bishops have released a new election resource highlighting key issues for consideration this election. The guide doesn’t assign ratings to candidates or parties, but rather gives a background on the different issues that could affect the election and information on these issues from a Catholic perspective.

Australian Catholic University symbol on a purple background

ACU Refugee and Asylum Seeker Scholarship

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The Australian Catholic University has a scholarship which is aimed at supporting refugees who arrived in Australian as unaccompanied minors or students leaving year 12 and currently on temporary, bridging, or safe haven visas. The scholarship is for students starting their university journey and covers the full course, student service fees and provides healthcare for those not receiving medicare. Applications close 16 January, 2022.

"A Place to Call Home" image, a cartoon of a man with a house and flowers in the background. Logos of Jesuit Refugee Service and Western Sydney University are in the top corners

“A Place To Call Home” Report Released

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Jesuit Refugee Service – Australia and the University of Western Sydney have released their report on the experience of homelessness and exclusion from housing experienced by people seeking asylum. The report found that the policies of the Federal government forced people seeking asylum into continual financial stress that detrimentally affected people’s ability to have housing, one person even staying in a small room in a car park in exchange for work.

photo of Bishop Long

Bishop Welcomes End of PNG Detention Program

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In a media statement on 14 October 2021, Bishop Long welcomed the end of the Australian offshore detention program in Papua New Guinea. However durable solutions are needed for those refugees and asylum seekers who do not wish to settle there, and the program continues in Nauru.

First Anniversary of Fratelli Tutti

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The first anniversary of the release of Pope Francis’ encyclical, Fratelli Tutti was celebrated on 3 October, 2021. The encyclical, which focuses on social friendship and overcoming racism and discrimination through dialogue and encounter has a new website which contains many resources all can use to share its message that we are all one human family. Videos, infographics, reflections, social media graphics, photos and prayers are available.

Man provides boy with health check in mother's arms

Afghanistan and PNG Campaign Updates

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The Catholic Alliance for People Seeking Asylum, of which the ACBC Office for Justice, Ecology and Peace is a part, is running an ongoing campaign to support the people of Afghanistan. It is looking for people to contact their local member of Parliament and advocate for 20,000 refugee places and permanent protection. Offshore processes will end in Papua New Guinea with the Australia and PNG governments ending their agreement. It will continue on Nauru.