“Asylum seekers do not come to Australia because they think that the government has ´softened on border protection´. Asylum seekers come to Australia because of horrendous violence and conflict in places such as Iraq, Afghanistan and Sri Lanka.¨

The Edmund Rice Centre (ERC) today released Deported to Danger II , which continues examining the fate of people whose claims for protection in Australia were rejected.

“The Edmund Rice Centre welcomes the Australian Government’s announcement of its Pacific Guest Worker Scheme .” said ERC environment spokesperson, Jill Finnane.

The Edmund Rice Centre today welcomed the apology to the Stolen Generations to be made in the Australian Parliament and urged the Rudd Government to also ensure that the recommendations of the 1997 Bringing Them Home Report are implemented. 

As part of the build up to the December UN summit on climate change, to be held in Bali, ten Australians from NSW and Queensland are currently journeying to the Pacific Island nation of Kiribati to learn up close about the implications of global warming for local residents.