THE case of asylum seekers; are they safe?, are they protected?, are they physically well and healthy?, are they mentally healthy and stable? What has a Christian country, PNG, got to do with those seeking refuge in its land?

Fr Giorgio Licini PIME, a Catholic priest in Papua New Guinea and secretary of the Catholic Bishops Conference has spent long hours listening to the plight of asylum seekers in Papua New Guinea and has been raising their concerns.

In January of 2019 he visited the Manus Detention Center where he met the asylum seekers who had been shipped to PNG from Australia in 2013.

Fr Giorgio described the detention center as a place unfit for human health both physically and mentally.

“What struck me most was the mental condition, the depression, tiredness, self-harm and attempted suicide,” Fr Giorgio said.

While he was there three suicide cases were reported.

He said, “The detention center caused asylum seekers and refugees to develop acute mental health problems that became more and more noticeable. Many endured serious health conditions and they only received attention and were transferred out of the province to seek medical treatment when their conditions became worse.”

He was appalled at the condition the asylum seekers and refugees had to live in but this visit in 2019 appealed to his conscience to work more with these people seeking help.

When asked if it is safe for the asylum seekers to return to their home country, Fr Giorgio says for many of them their safety is not guaranteed.

“When they return to their countries there is no assurance that they will have a good life. Some of them will become victims of rascals, organized crime, violence and the extreme policies by their governments,” Fr Giorgio said.

In speaking to the students, priests and friends at the Bomana Catholic Theological College last Friday, Fr Giorgio linked this story of asylum seekers to the story of Jesus in Mathew 2:13. He said this verse talks about the infant Jesus as an asylum seeker when his parents were forced to run from Bethlehem and seek refuge elsewhere.

In later years Jesus showed compassion in his teachings to those whose only option was to flee their land and escape persecution and death. Referencing Leviticus 19:33-34 Fr Giorgio shared the passage, “When a foreigner resides with you in your land, you must not oppress him or her. You must treat the foreigner living among you as native born and show them the love and sincerity you would normally give yourself.”

PNG is a signatory to the 1951 International Convention on the Status of Refugees’ therefore it has an obligation to carry its responsibilities to protect people fleeing their countries and seeking asylum in this country. These responsibilities are supported by our laws under Article 15 of the Migration Act 1978. Under this section the Foreign Affairs Minister has the powers to determine someone to be a refugee.

Due to the extreme nature surrounding people’s reasons for fleeing their countries, the phrase ‘People on the Move’ was hence dubbed to be fitting.

Director of Migrants and Refugees Desk at the Catholic Bishops Conference, Jason Siwat explains that ‘People on the Move’ fit into three categories. They are migrants, refugees and asylum seekers and sometimes these words are used interchangeably. However, there are distinct differences between these categories.

While there are domestic legal instruments to protect those seeking refuge in PNG Mr Siwat said there are serious lack of protection mechanisms available for refugees in PNG.

Non-refugees who cannot return to their countries of origin also need some complimentary protection from the state however, the PNG government does not have a legal framework that provides for ‘Complimentary Protection’ to ensure that these groups of people are taken care of, Mr Siwat said.

Furthermore Mr Siwat stressed that durable solutions have to be initiated by means of assisted voluntary return when there are no longer risks for refugees to return to their countries, local integration where they can live in communities of Papua New Guinea and resettlement where PNG sends them to a third country.”

Currently PNG has three groups of refugees which includes the West Papuans, those transferred to PNG under the 2013 Memorandum of Understanding between Australia and PNG and individual arrivals. There are also 127 asylum seekers still in the country.

Catholic Bishops Conference through its Migrants and Refugees Desk continues to provide support and work with the refugees and asylum seekers but need government to do more to support to protect these people.

By Nigel Akuani and Rosa Koian