Elsie Lange
Palm Sunday has long been a day on which communities come together to rally for refugee and asylum seeker justice.
This year, St Vincent de Paul Society (SVDP) is urging people across Australia, including in Hume and Whittlesea, to join rallies on April 10.
SVDP National Council president Claire Victory said with the world in considerable turmoil, it has never been more vital there is compassionate refugee policy.
“The Society has a long history of assisting vulnerable people such as refugees and asylum seekers, and Palm Sunday is a perfect time to highlight the community’s concerns,” Ms Victory said.
While SVDP and the Refugee Council or Australia welcomed the announcement in the recent federal budget of 16,500 additional places set aside for refugees from Afghanistan, the society has “ongoing concerns” with Australia’s treatment of refugees.
“For example, nearly 20,000 refugees in Australia are still on temporary visas after a decade, and thousands still seeking asylum are enduring the fast-track refugee assessment process, condemned as unfair by the Australian Human Rights Commission,” Ms Victory said.
“Hundreds of people are in Australian immigration detention, many brought here for medical treatment.”
She said with humanitarian crises playing out across the world, this year’s rally was particularly important.
“We invite everyone to add their voice,” Ms Victory said.
Details of rallies: aran.net.au/actions/palm-sunday-2022/
