Asylum Seeker and Refugee Bible Study Resources

1 1 Asylum Seeker and Refugee Bible Study Resources Anglican Social Responsibilities Commission Anglican Church, Diocese of Perth 2 This Study was adapted from an original which was prepared by the Reverend Gillian Moses for the Social Responsibilities Commission of the Diocese of Brisbane. Our sincere thanks for their generosity and collegiality of spirit in allowing us to adapt their valuable work for use in our own Diocese. Anglican Social Responsibilities Commission Wollaston Education Centre 5 Wollaston Rd, Mt Claremont (08) 92860270 3 Contents Introduction .. 4 Session one | The gift of hospitality: inviting the stranger to come in .. 6 Session two | The question of human rights: recognising the imago Dei.

2 16 Session three | People on the move: the experience of exile .. 24 Session four | Rendering to Caesar: Christians and politics .. 32 Session five | The limits of generosity: balancing self and others .. 41 Endnotes .. 49 Introduction The United Nations Convention Relating to the Status of refugees (commonly known as the Refugee Convention) is the primary international legal document relating to Refugee protection. It defines who is a Refugee and outlines the rights of refugees and the legal obligations of states towards refugees and Asylum seekers . Signatories to the Refugee Convention, such as Australia, have an obligation under international law to assess all claims for protection, regardless of how people arrive. The negative, distorted and prejudiced political debate on Refugee and Asylum Seeker policy has been allowed to go on for far too long.

3 It is time for a new approach which focuses on compassion rather than punishment, on facts rather than fear-mongering, and on long-term solutions rather than short-term political point scoring. The Anglican Social Responsibilities Commission ( the SRC ) advocates for the adoption of a substantial and responsive resettlement program, and an end to offshore processing. We acknowledge that the toxic combination of arbitrary and indefinite detention, lack of privacy, harsh physical conditions, lack of adequate services and infrastructure, poor protections against mistreatment and violence and constant uncertainty have created conditions which are tantamount to inhuman and degrading treatment. All Asylum seekers arriving in Australia who are found to be refugees should immediately be granted permanent protection and provided with the support they need to rebuild their lives in Australia and contribute to their new communities.

4 We know that community-based processing of Asylum claims offers a far more humane and cost-effective approach than prolonged 4 indefinite detention, and celebrate initiatives such as Perth s First Home Project which has challenged us to look for creative solutions to difficult situations. We believe that Australia should commit to using immigration detention only as a measure of last resort and for the shortest possible time, and ensure that Asylum seekers living in the community are adequately supported while their status is resolved. In December of 2013 the Minister for Immigration issued Direction 62. This means that any family visa application already submitted to the Department of Immigration by a person who arrived by boat and was then found to be a Refugee , will now be placed to the bottom of the processing pile.

5 This effectively stops these family applications being processed. The deterrence-based policies endorsed by both major parties are based on the highly problematic and erroneous premise that applying for resettlement from overseas is the only right way to seek protection as a Refugee . This premise is divorced from the realities of the global protection environment and misrepresents the purpose of resettlement as a durable solution. At the second sitting of the first session of the forty-eighth Synod of the Diocese of Perth, the following motion was passed That this Synod requests the Archbishop to write to both the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Federal Opposition to communicate the following: 1. that members of the Synod of the Anglican Diocese of Perth do not minimise the complexity of the issues surrounding the arrival on our shores of men, women and children; however 2.

6 That the Synod, affirming unambiguously the clear teaching of Scripture about the value of every person in the sight of God, urges that the Government take immediate and sufficient steps to ensure that all persons intercepted on their way to or arriving on our shores, by whatever means, are treated with dignity, respect and in a way which enhances their physical or mental well-being. Ongoing conflict around the world continues to generate new sources of refugees at an unprecedented rate. The issues are not going away. As Christians we have theological and ethical Resources available which can inform and direct our personal and corporate responses to these issues. This guide will help Anglicans to utilise those Resources so that they can contribute meaningfully to the public conversation.

7 The Reverend Lorna Green Chair, Anglican Social Responsibilities Commission 5 Using the Study guide Each session of this Study guide is designed to help groups engage with a critical issue concerning refugees and Asylum seekers from a Christian perspective. Each session can stand alone and they need not be worked through sequentially. Each session consists of 4 parts: 1. Background information: This section gives some background to the subject matter of the session, including legislation, statistics, news reports and Refugee stories. It aims to provide relevant contextual information for the theme and to illuminate how the theme is expressed in public conversation. There are links to further sources which can be explored as desired. 2. Bible passages: Each Bible Study includes passages from the Hebrew Scriptures and from the New Testament, together with background notes and some discussion questions.

8 Groups may choose to Study one or both passages, and to consider some or all of the questions. There are also references given to other scriptures which may inform the discussion. 3. Casting the net: This section provides further Resources for groups who want to explore further. Groups may choose to use some or all of the material as appropriate for your situation. Thinking is the place for theological essays and reflections which go deeper into the theological issues raised by the theme. Seeing offers visual stimulus including videos, artworks and films. Listening includes links to music. Joining offers suggestions for ways in which your group might like to get more involved with refugees in the local community. Praying offers liturgical Resources for use by the group either during the Study time or later in public or private worship.

9 4. Going deeper: This section offers links to full texts of items and suggestions for further reading on the theme. This symbol means that the resource is available to loan from the Wollaston Education Centre, 5 Wollaston Road, Mt Claremont. Session outlines Session 1: The gift of hospitality: inviting the stranger to come in Session 2: The question of human rights: recognising the imago dei Session 3: People on the move: the experience of exile Session 4: Rendering to Caesar: Christians and politics Session 5: The limits of generosity: balancing self and others 6 Session one | the gift of hospitality: inviting the stranger to come in Australia s current legal approach to the question of refugees and Asylum seekers The international laws that are most often discussed in relation to refugees and Asylum seekers are intended to provide protection for those members of the human community who are least able to protect themselves.

10 They attempt to protect the human rights which the international community recognises as being essential to our humanity. Because the rights contained in these documents are thought to be so essential to our humanity it might also be argued that the responsibility to offer protection of these rights to those in need is just as essential to our humanity. In other words, we recognise that states and their citizens need to be hospitable to vulnerable people in order to be fully human. It is telling that we often describe regimes that infringe on human rights as inhumane . In reality, the conversation about our obligations with respect to refugees and Asylum seekers rarely centres on the ways in which those obligations can shape us positively. Instead the public is encouraged to focus on the dangers of hospitality and of inviting the stranger into our midst.