Australian bishops’ conference welcomes closing of migrant detention center
April 29, 2016
Papua New Guinea’s Supreme Court has ordered the closure of a facility where 900 migrants who attempted to reach Australia have been detained.
Australia has paid Papua New Guinea to operate the facility.
Welcoming the court decision, Father Maurizio Pettena of the Australian Catholic Migrant and Refugee Office said that “the Catholic Church opposes mandatory indefinite detention and offshore detention; these policy responses do not respect the dignity of people seeking our refuge.”
He added, “Whilst governments have a responsibility to manage migration flows into countries, the Australian government’s approach is harsh and needs to change; the dignity of the human person must always come first.”
For all current news, visit our News home page.
Further information:
- Papua New Guinea Supreme Court decision a welcome sign of hope for Manus Island detainees (Australian Catholic Bishops Conference)
- Australia's refugee camp in Papua New Guinea to close (AP)
All comments are moderated. To lighten our editing burden, only current donors are allowed to Sound Off. If you are a current donor, log in to see the comment form; otherwise please support our work, and Sound Off!
