In Australia today, some of the people most in need of a compassionate neighbour are people seeking asylum. Having fled their homeland in search of safety and refuge, they are often detained in centres worse than prisons, with no apparent way of being granted a secure a visa.
Others are permitted to live in the community but lack the resources for adequate food, education or housing. They are often left for years without their claim for asylum being processed.
Good Samaritan Sisters and oblates endeavour to support these women, men and children directly by visiting them, as caseworkers, sourcing resources and petitioning government departments on their behalf.
Valuable partnerships in this work include the Jesuit Refugee Service, the Refugee Council of Australia, and the Catholic Alliance for People Seeking Asylum.
Other Sisters assist various groups of refugees, especially in the early months and years of being in Australia. Many of these people need support as they recover from the trauma of their past and as they find their way in a new and foreign community.
