Springwood Uniting Church has joined with a throng of other churches around the nation to offer sanctuary to the 267 refugees seeking asylum in Australia “rather than have them return to Nauru”.
Congregation chairman, James Coombs, said members of the church were in “solidarity with Christian Churches across Australia offering sanctuary to the 267 refugees, mainly women and children, seeking asylum”.
“We call upon the Australian government to expedite their processing in the Australian community,” he said.
Another church spokesman, Mal Hewitt - a former Chair of the Board of Mission of the Uniting Church who also spent time on Nauru before the detention centre was built - said they were prepared to take the refugees set to be returned to Nauru following the recent High Court decision. The High Court has upheld the legality of the federal government’s offshore processing centres.
Mr Hewitt said “it won’t be a good look internationally if our Border Force is seen dragging children out or churches and cathedrals”.
“There’s a groundswell gathering to send the very clear message to the federal government … we have to take a close look at how we are treating these people.”
“We are not responding to the real needs of these people,” Mr Hewitt, OAM, said. “Nauru really is the end of the earth, it’s a terrible place.”
The Faulconbridge member of the mission committee of the Springwood church said Australia took a “pitiful” number of refugees “compared to Europe”. Mr Hewitt said they were prepared to face criminal sanctions by offering sanctuary.
On Monday February 2 there was a second Mountains event organised by the Blue Mountains Refugee Support Group and the Greens to protest the High Court decision. A vigil of 250 people was held outside Leura Uniting Church. State premiers have also offered asylum.
Immigration minister Peter Dutton told media this year there had been significant upgrades to the Nauru Hospital and village where asylum seekers are housed and the new wing was “better than some I’ve seen in regional Australia”.
