The indefinite detention of people, many of whom pose no threat or have not been convicted of serious crimes, is an affront to human dignity and a breach of international law - Photo:bigstock.com
Bishop Vincent Nguyen Van Long OFM Conv, chair of the Catholic Bishops Commission for Social Justice, Mission and Service, as reported on the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference Media Blog, has welcomed an open letter from the Catholic Bishops Conference of Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands to the Australian Government calling for detained on Manus Island and Nauru to be resettled in Australia.
The Bishops of Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands, as reported on the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference Media Blog, said detainees whose lives have been used to deter other people seeking asylum, “and whose acute suffering we see every day”, should be able to access “a reasonable and acceptable level of freedom and dignity in Australia”.
It has been eight years since the Australian government passed legislation to enable the mandatory offshore detention of asylum-seekers arriving by boat. “This is too long,” says Bishop Long. “I have seen with my own eyes the effects of the policy of protracted and inhumane detention on these individuals. A humane solution is needed.”
In support of the call from his brother bishops, Bishop Long says, “Our brother bishops are right to point out that those who continue to be detained on Manus and Nauru, who cannot return to their place of origin and who have no path to resettlement elsewhere, should be resettled in Australia.” The bishop says, “The indefinite detention of people, many of whom pose no threat or have not been convicted of serious crimes, is an affront to human dignity and a breach of international law.”
It has been eight years since the Australian government passed legislation to enable the mandatory offshore detention of asylum-seekers arriving by boat. “This is too long,” says Bishop Long. “I have seen with my own eyes the effects of the policy of protracted and inhumane detention on these individuals. A humane solution is needed.”
Bishop Long goes on to say, “The Catholic Church in both countries is ready to work with governments to resolve it, for the sake of the people directly affected, and for all of us.”
Columban Fr Kevin O'Neill is currently on the Peace, Ecology and Justice (PEJ) Team at St Columban's, Essendon.
Related links
- Read Bishops Message: Eight years on, bishops renew call for resettlement
