Nicholas Whereat, a retired Anglican Priest in Brisbane, announces he is going to fast for refugees..
Three years ago, I kept a fast for 9 days at St John’s Anglican Cathedral in Brisbane.
I plan to keep another Fast as a Lament. I continue to feel very sad and profoundly disappointed that the nation I love has treated Asylum Seekers and Refugees so shamefully.
When I hear the phrase “offshore detention center” in my mind I hear “out of sight out of mind determination center”.
It’s now been 12 years since Nauru was opened as a Detention Centre. It has a new Cohort detained there. Recently we have heard that a group of Asylum Seekers convicted of crimes in Australia even having served their sentence will be sent to Nauru. Meanwhile those who were sent there 12 years ago still linger in a limbo of uncertainty.
“For over a decade, thousands of refugees in Australia have been trapped in legal limbo. Many sought safety in Australia between 2012 and 2014 and were placed in the now-abolished “Fast-Track” system, which denied them fair hearings and only offered temporary visas. While the Albanese Government finally granted permanency to around 19,000 people on these temporary visas, over 8,000 others were excluded—either because they were wrongly rejected or never granted a visa in the first place. These people have spent up to 12 years on short-term bridging visas, unable to rebuild their lives, access stable work, study, or reunite with family.
Another 1,000 refugees transferred from offshore detention in Nauru and PNG live under equally harsh restrictions. Denied settlement in Australia by policy, they face constant visa renewals, no pathway to permanency, and separation from loved ones. Despite widespread recognition that the system failed, these people remain shut out of any solution—unless the Immigration Minister personally intervenes. It’s time to end this cruelty. After more than a decade of waiting, refugees who call Australia home need a clear, fair pathway to stay permanently.”
#EndTheWaiting is initiated by Common Grace and The National Council of Churches in Australia. More Info: endthewaiting.com
My fast is to mark those 12 years, not so much as a protest but as an expression of lament for our nation that seems to function out of fear and meanness. The expansive vision in our national anthem of “boundless plains to share”, albeit recognising that it requires courage to truly combine, seems to have been swallowed up by fear.
Fairness and generous hospitality have always required courage and commitment.
My prayer and request is that the Australian Government will at least give visas that don’t need to be renewed constantly. Such Visas would last until their request for Asylum has been fully resolved.
Secondly that all Asylum seeker currently here in Australia be given visas that allow them to work.
And finally that a pathway to permanent residence will be made available.
The Cathedral Chapter have graciously given me permission to keep this second Fast and Lament. Naturally I will be keeping the requirements put in place last time: to move inside the Cathedral at night, to have a couple of doctors look in on me from time to time, and if they are concerned to call off the remainder of the fast. Each night of the fast another person will join me as another safety precaution.
Anyone who shares my deep sadness is welcome to come and sit with me during the day. You don’t have to join me in fasting. And of course, anyone who thinks I’m completely mad is welcome to come and tell me as such. We can discus our different opinions.
Image: Nicholas Whereat fasting in St John’s Anglican Cathedral in Brisbane. Image Credit Nicholas Whereat Facebook.