News
29 March 2022
GUARDIAN: Federal budget to fund 16,500 more places for Afghan refugees over four years after pressure on Coalition
The Morrison government has finally bowed to pressure to offer Afghan nationals fleeing the Taliban extra humanitarian places on top of the existing global intake. The government’s previous offers to help Afghan nationals have been within the overall humanitarian program, which is capped at 13,750 a year. That stance attracted criticism from refugee advocates and religious groups […]
MEDIA RELEASE: Christian leaders welcome lift in Afghan refugee intake
Christian leaders welcome the Australian Government’s commitment in the 2022 Federal Budget to take in an additional 16,500 refugees from Afghanistan. A movement of tens of thousands of Australian Christians supported by the heads of every mainline denomination, brought together by Micah Australia, has consistently joined Australia’s Afghan diaspora, veterans and the refugee sector, in […]
25 March 2022
ETERNITY – ANGLICAN BISHOPS URGE A LIFT IN INTAKE OF AFGHAN REFUGEES
40 bishops of the Anglican Church of Australia have co-signed a letter to Prime Minister Scott Morrison calling on the federal government to create a special intake of 20,000 additional places for Afghan refugees. The bishops had been attending the National Meeting of Bishops and they wrote on behalf of Anglican churches across the nation. […]
3 March 2022
SBS: ‘Not good enough’ – Australia urged to offer more refugee visas for people fleeing Afghanistan and Ukraine
Refugee advocates have criticised Prime Minister Scott Morrison for appearing to misrepresent the government’s visa response for people from Afghanistan fleeing the Taliban. Read full story here on SBS News. […]
1 March 2022
Tim Costello: “Bolster refugee & aid programs to handle dual world crises”
Australia’s refugee program and overseas aid must both be increased to reflect the twin crises of Ukraine and Afghanistan. We welcome the Prime Minister’s commitment to fast-track visa applications from Ukrainians fleeing war, along with the flagged intention to provide additional aid and refugee places. At a Ukrainian Church service in Sydney on Sunday, the […]
26 February 2022
THE SATURDAY: Liberal MP says room for 15,000 Afghans
Faith groups met with Alex Hawke this week to push for a commitment on accepting Afghan refugees. By Karen Middleton. Conservative Christian churches and a federal Liberal MP are ramping up pressure on the government to fulfil its promise to help more Afghans flee Taliban persecution, amid concerns they are pawns in a domestic political game. […]
16 February 2022
SBS WORLD NEWS: The Federal Government is leaving the door open for Afghan refugee increase
Our Canberra delegation continues to receive coverage this week. […]
14 February 2022
SBS WORLD NEWS: Influential religious leaders converge on Canberra
A group of influential religious leaders have converged on Canberra to push the government to increase its intake of Afghan refugees. At the same time, newly arrived asylum seekers evacuated from Kabul are still waiting for visa certainty. […]
THE GUARDIAN: ‘Stroke of a pen’: Coalition urged to accept Afghan refugees in addition to existing intake
Immigration minister previously announced places for Afghan nationals within existing visa program in move critics call ‘mean and tricky’. The immigration minister, Alex Hawke, has been urged to heed Australia’s “moral obligation” to Afghan nationals fleeing the Taliban by ensuring resettlement places are on top of the existing humanitarian intake. A delegation of faith groups, […]
25 January 2022
Resource: Prayer for Afghanistan
Dear friends, In light of the recent announcement by the Australian government not to grant a special additional intake of refugees from Afghanistan, I invite you to use this prayer in either your personal or corporate time with God. Rev. Tim Costello God whose heart loves the stranger and refugee, we have been so moved […]