Working together on justice for refugees
An update from the Australian Churches Refugee Taskforce
February 14, 2024
By Assembly Policy and Advocacy Officer Raúl Sugunananthan
The Australian Churches Refugee Taskforce (ACRT) met in-person last Friday to plan its work for 2024. The gathering was a fruitful time with representatives from the Salvation Army, Anglican Church, Churches of Christ, Catholic Church, Quakers and the Uniting Church.
This year, the ACRT will engage directly with political decision makers, as well as engage our membership bases to meet with their local MPs
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Alongside many other advocacy groups, we determined our focus will be on visa permanency. Last year, The Federal Government granted 19,000 refugees permanent visas, ending over a decade of visa limbo for some of the most vulnerable people in Australia. Unfortunately, this process has left approximately 10,000 asylum seekers still waiting. These people have built lives in this country but are facing ongoing uncertainty around their place in Australia. Thousands of these individuals use the services of Churches and their agencies, giving us a powerful reason to raise our voice.
This year, the ACRT will engage directly with political decision makers, as well as engage our membership bases to meet with their local MPs. Be sure to follow the ACRT on Facebook to stay in the loop about future opportunities. https://www.facebook.com/AustralianChurchesRefugeeTaskforce
An immediate way you can get involved is join the Big Walk for Refugees www.bigwalk4refugees.au and Palm Sunday Rallies https://aran.net.au/actions/palm-sunday-2024/.
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