Jesuit Refugee Service

Chance meeting reunites David, 'mum' after 13 years

26 July 2010

From a sweltering refugee camp in northern Uganda to a pub on a leafy street in Richmond, Sudanese refugee David Basioni has travelled a long way to find the woman who helped raise him. Thirteen years passed between Mr Basioni farewelling Sister Maureen Lohrey, the Melbourne nun he calls ''mum'', in Adjumani and their recent reunion at the Kingston Hotel, reports The Age. Read more...

Charism inspires a heart and mind of compassion

15 July 2010

Sr Maryanne Loughry is a psychologist with a heart for displaced people. The Adelaide-born Mercy Sister was named a Member of the Order of Australia in the Queen's Birthday honours last month for her decades of service to migrants and refugees, reports the Catholic Weekly. Read more...

Nauru solution open to PM Julia Gillard

13 July 2010

Nauru has re-emerged as a serious option for Julia Gillard's asylum-seeker processing facility. This comes after the tiny Pacific nation moved to sign the UN Convention on Refugees. Ratification of the convention would satisfy the Prime Minister's key objection to reopening the existing facility on Nauru, which was paid for by Australian taxpayers as part of the Howard government's Pacific Solution, reports The Australian. Read more...

Gillard flags move to offshore processing

6 July 2010

Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Opposition Leader Tony Abbott both announced new policies on border protection today as the asylum seeker debate took centre stage in pre-election political manoeuvres, reports the ABC. Read more...

JRS urges governments to welcome urban refugees

20 June 2010

Jesuit Refugee Service has urged governments and civil society organisations worldwide to welcome refugees and other forcibly displaced persons in urban areas. On the occasion of World Refugee Day on 20 June, JRS said it believes that adopting a positive and supportive approach to the presence of refugees in urban areas not only promotes their well-being but empowers them to use their energy and talents to benefit their host communities.