2013-10-07 John W John W's previous articles
(Comments welcome here)
Asylum seekers........and us
Last week more than 300 African asylum seekers drowned when their boat capsized near the Italian island of Lampedusa. Two weeks ago some 50 South Asian asylum seekers drowned when their boat sank near Indonesia
Pope Francis has said that such news should profoundly disturb us if we think globally, if we have a sense of the human race being one big family. The Pope himself, who only a few months ago visited Lampedusa after a previous tragedy, was especially moved by the latest Lampedusa tragedy ...and called for "a day of crying"
What are we to make of all this? Can we do anything about it?
The first step is to stay informed, to care enough to read about what's happening and why it's happening. Indifference to the situation of asylum seekers is ...well...is indifference to Jesus
Eureka
Street in Australia is continuing to highlight the asylum seeker issue.
Every week there are new articles. Also in Australia the ABC's Jonathan Green is
trying to keep the politicians honest, with several
powerful articles in the past two months. This website, v2catholic.com, will
continue to link such articles as a way of helping more people stay informed
about the asylum seeker issue
Throughout human history, poor people have migrated to find a better life. Most people in the US and Australia are descended from such migrants. As the gap between rich and poor in the world widens, and as the poor become poorer, an increasing number of attempts at migration can be expected
Complicating the issue is the role of "people smugglers". We tend to have nothing but contempt for them ....and in the way they deceive and exploit poor people they deserve contempt....but their existence is an unwelcome reminder that legal migration of poor people to better places is too little, too restricted, with not enough generosity on the part of receiving places
Admitting migrants to better places is not a simple matter. New arrivals must be willing to live harmoniously in their new home and not disturb its peace by introducing conflicting values
What
can we do?
Can we, as part of a church or community group, help sponsor some asylum seekers
for legal admission to our country. Many years ago, with the help of several kind
groups in Australia, I was able to help several Vietnamese refugee families move
from Hong Kong to Australia
Can we get involved in welcoming and helping new arrivals? Through Caritas and other organisations, can we give some help and support to programs for new arrivals?
In Hong Kong there are more than a thousand refugees from the Sub-Continent and Africa. Some of them have been here for many years. No one wants them. As a result of pressure from the UN, the HK government is reluctantly and minimally supporting such refugees. The refugees are not allowed to work...and often finish up in prison for working illegally to try to get more money for their families. Many of them are living in atrocious conditions
My hope is to set up some sort of group to support such refugees ....and maybe...maybe....doors will open in the US, Canada, the UK or Australia for a few families to get to a better place. If any kind readers are interested in such a proposal, please contact me: jdwomi@gmail.com
-----------------------
c.f. Australia has an obligation to refugees