Refugee action

We had a 'refugee action seminar to cap off the series of sermons and studies on asylum seekers. It landed with the thud of a dead cat.

The conclusion was that no Australian government would adopt policies that would increase the flow of irregular arrivals so pressure there would be pointless.

We knew that.

Instead, pressure for better processing, community settlement (I'd prefer better detention arrangements) and regional cooperation were recommended. What was missed out was pressure internationally to bring delinquent governments to heal. A hard one I know, particularly when the pressure might involve military action: not congenial to the irrelevant left of politics.

But the end result was recommendation to change people here to promote policy change in the longer term. I'd add missionary activity in the source countries to address their toxic cultures.

We do that...