Refugees

The Uniting Church advocates for a just response to the needs of refugees that recognises Australia’s responsibilities as a wealthy global citizen upholds the human rights and safety of all people and is based on just and humane treatment, including non-discriminatory practices and accountable, transparent processes.

Our Advocacy

The Uniting Church in Australia is a long-standing advocate of the just treatment of refugees and people seeking asylum.

We have been consistently vocal on the need for:

• Australia to increase its humanitarian intake
• People seeking asylum and refugees to be brought to Australia from Papua New Guinea and Nauru
• Temporary protection to be changed to permanent protection
• A fair and timely refugee application process with adequate legal support
• Work rights and access to adequate welfare support

Working Together

We are members of the WA Refugee and People Seeking Asylum Network (WARPSAN). WARPSAN is an advocacy and research network comprising of people with lived experience of seeking asylum in Australia, academics, community organisations, individual concerned citizens, and other community members.

Some of our current collaborative campaign work includes:

• We All Need Our Families – Stories of refugees in WA on temporary visas
• Justice for Refugees WA  – Advocacy and campaigning for justice, freedom and safety for refugees and people seeking asylum

Resources

For resources, statements, submissions, and other information about the Uniting Church’s work in this area visit Uniting Justice’s Refugees and Asylum Seekers page.