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Media Release

Monday 6 March 2006

Brisbane’s Catholic Justice and Peace Commission has welcomed decisions which have enabled two asylum seekers to stay in Australia.

Kibre Kebede, a young Ethiopian woman who faced imminent deportation at the beginning of 2005, has now been granted permanent residence following a decision by the Minister for Immigration to re-examine her claim for refugee status and grant her permanent residence.

The Commission launched a campaign in February last year to urge the Minister to reconsider Ms Kebede’s case and many Catholics in parishes around the Archdiocese participated by writing letters of support for her and by praying for her.

The Commission’s Executive Officer, Peter Arndt, said that the Commission’s Office had received regular enquiries about progress in Ms Kebede’s appeal and many local Catholics will be pleased to know that her appeal has been successful.

“It has taken a year of prayers and patient waiting, but I know many people will be delighted for Kibre,” Mr Arndt said.

“This is a year in which Archbishop Bathersby has asked Catholics to focus on carrying out their Christian mission in their daily lives and this campaign of support for Kibre is a good example of what ordinary Christians can do to live the Gospel,” he said.

“Sending Kibre back to Ethiopia where she faced the prospect of violence, abuse and ostracism was frightening for Kibre and, when they learned of her story, many Catholics in Brisbane rallied to support her,” he said.

“Taking action to defend the dignity of our fellow human beings who are in distress and difficulty is a part of the mission Christ gave us,” he said.

The Brisbane Commission is also pleased that a Nigerian man, Livinus Okwume, who sought asylum in Brisbane last July has been recognised as a refugee by the Refugee Review Tribunal.

Mr Okwume is a Catholic father of five and a nurse.  After arriving in Brisbane for an aged care conference last year, he sought asylum and was taken directly to the Baxter Immigration Detention Centre in Port Augusta, South Australia.

Mr Arndt said that he had been in regular contact with Mr Okwume since his detention in South Australia.

“Only a week after Livinus arrived at Baxter, he was a man in great distress,” Mr Arndt said.

“We had many long conversations on the phone over the course of last year and I know there were many times of great anxiety and pain for Livinus,” he said.

“It was good to know that people from the local diocese were giving him a lot of support as they do for other asylum seekers locked up in Baxter,” he said.

“The Commission wrote a letter of support for Livinus because he faced threats and persecution both because he is a Catholic and because he is a member of a political movement seeking sovereignty for Biafra,” he said.

“We are still waiting to hear from the Immigration Department as to whether Livinus will be given temporary or permanent protection,” he said.

“When I last spoke to Livinus, he was a very happy man,” he said.

For more information, please contact Peter Arndt on (07) 3336 9173 or 0409 265 476.

NB This release is issued with the approval of the Commission or its Executive under the provision of its Charter which enables it to speak in its own right.  Its views do not necessarily represent those of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane.