As the Federal Labor caucus gathered in Balmain to discuss reforms to how they elect their leader, a small group from the Uniting Church met in their Café Church down the road to hold a “lament” over Labor’s new asylum seeker policy. The inner Sydney suburb is one of two places that claim to be where the Labor party was founded and it is proud of its left-wing heritage.

“We are appalled at the government plan to send asylum seekers to PNG”, said Elenie Poulos, the National Director of UnitingJustice. “It is a gross abuse of our moral obligation as a nation. By global standards, Australia does not have a border security crisis.”

“It is a fact that Australia receives less than 0.3 per cent of refugees worldwide—a miniscule amount. And of those who do arrive, that over 90 per cent of those seeking asylum are found to be fleeing persecution and in need of protection.

“We have decided to close the door on people in need”, she adds. “We have closed the door”.

Pictured: Nicole Fleming, minister at Balmain UCA, Frances Milne AM of Balmain for Refugees and Bridge for Refugees, Elenie Poulos Chair of the Australian Refugee Task Force. Picture by John Sandeman

Unhappy with both major parties’ asylum seeker policy, Poulos believes the answer includes working more closely with Indonesia to improve conditions there and help people stay while they are processed to determine their refugee status.

Eternity asked Poulos whether an increased humanitarian intake would make the PNG solution palatable.

“Our door should be open to refugees from camps around the world,” she replied. “But we have two different programmes involved. As required by our signing the Refugee Convention, we should accept the asylum seekers who come to us. And we should also welcome the refugees who come as part of our humanitarian resettlement programme.”

Bridge for Asylum’s Francis Milne was also at the lament. Her group, part of UnitingJustice NSW, has raised over $3 million to assist the “survival levels” for asylum seekers in the community who are not allowed to work. Bridge for Asylum have had support from local government, and other groups as well as UCA. Milne told a story what “hands-on” working to support asylum seekers looks like.

“I was visiting a woman in detention at Villawood: she was desperate because her husband was about to be sent back to China”, she told the lament. We were able to get his case into court.

“Then we found she had a daughter as well—she was hiding in the community while her parents were in detention, and kept out of sight because she was unable to access the school system. She was spending her days in public libraries by herself filling in her time. When we first discovered the family we went and found the girl and brought her home to live with us. We demanded that the mother be let out to look after the girl, which happened. And we found a flat for them. Bridge for Asylum Seekers paid their support until we did manage to get the father out.

“We were able to get Presbyterian Ladies’ College in Croydon to help. She loved going there. It was the first time she felt like an ordinary girl in an ordinary uniform.“

The family got refugee status. Last month, the daughter graduated from University of NSW where she has done very well.

President of the UCA National Assembly Professor Andrew Dutney has also criticised the PNG solution. “We now see firmly entrenched in our political system an approach that seeks to circumvent the spirit of hospitality and compassion codified in international treaties and obligations,” said Dutney.

“Denying refugees the possibility of settlement in Australia denies them hope and will have a devastating impact on those who have fled persecution.

“We know from recent UN reports that the processing centre on Manus Island is grossly inadequate.

“We also know that the on-going human rights violations and extreme poverty in Papua New Guinea mean it is not a safe option for permanent resettlement of refugees. It is burden-shifting at its most base.”

After Frances Milne finished telling Eternity her story, the UCA group walked a block up past the coffee shops of Darling Street towards Balmain Town Hall where the ALP Caucus was meeting. A rather rowdier demonstration was taking place.