MUCH continues to be said about asylum seekers and detention centres. The Bishop of Parramatta-designate, Bishop Vincent Long OFM Conv, has labelled detention centres “prisons”, and in his new role hopes to tackle youth radicalisation and the perception of asylum-seekers.
Bishop Long was appalled by Australia’s current stance on asylum-seekers. “I regret that Australia as a nation has adopted a very harsh and cruel policy towards asylum-seekers. They’ve had to deal with enough trauma and adversity coming to Australia and then we put them in these horrible situations to increase that trauma.” Having visited many detention centres around the country, Bishop Long could only describe them as a “prison”.
In a recent interview, he said he was eager to engage with the migrant communities in western Sydney and help govern policy. “I think I have some insight into how refugees transition into a new life in Australia and the kind of challenges they have to deal with,” he said. “I hope to be able to engage them and help the public to have a more humane and positive engagement.”
Another priority for Bishop Long will be helping young people avoid Islamic radicalisation. Youths, whether they’re Muslim or otherwise, face very similar challenges of sense of belonging, sense of self-worth and sense of identity, so we need to help them come to terms with these issues and make them realise that every culture and religion has its legitimate place in our society.