Churches Taskforce seeks assurances to reduce detention health risks

In an urgent letter to the Acting Chief Medical Officer Professor Paul Kelly and the Minister for Health, Mr Greg Hunt, the Australian Churches Refugee Taskforce (ACRT) has sought urgent assurances from the responsible government public health authorities that the people at detention centres have safe accommodation during the continuing COVID-19 pandemic.

The NCCA  and the ACRT released a combined Media Statement on Monday 20 July appealing for guaranteed access to COVID-19 testing when any symptoms are present in immigration detention centres and an assurance that people moving in and out of these locations in a staff role are both trained and monitored with regard to the highest standards of infection control and prevention. 

Mr Rob Floyd, Chair of the Australian Churches’ Taskforce said that “With the recent infections of staff assigned to the Mantra Hotel at Preston in Melbourne’s COVID 19 lockdown area, and Villawood Detention Centre in Sydney, we believe that the public health risks mean that those moving freely in and out of these centres pose the highest public health risk at this time.”

Read the full Media Release:   pdf 202007 ACRT NCCA Media Release Detention Health Risks (457 KB)

Background

The Australian Churches Refugee Taskforce (The Taskforce) came together in early 2013 and is an initiative of the National Council of Churches in Australia (NCCA), a Council that represents 18 full members and 5 observer Australian Christian churches.

The Taskforce is committed to engage and advocate with asylum seekers and refugees in the national debate about Australia’s treatment and attitudes toward them and the constantly changing government policies affecting them. This commitment is based on the strong Christian values of compassion, generosity and hospitality in response to people experiencing injustice. Love for our neighbour and care for the stranger are hallmarks of our Christian faith lived in the world.