Just like Sidernee
CANBERRA, Aug 12 (Reuters) - About 20 Catholic pilgrims who
attended World Day Youth services in Australia with Pope Benedict
XVI last month have claimed asylum, with more applications
expected, refugee advocates said on Tuesday.
The majority of applicants were from Africa, including
Zimbabwe, where political and economic upheaval have driven
millions to flee, as well as Cameroon, Burundi and Kenya, the
Sydney-based Asylum Seeker Centre said.
"We are seeing utter destitution, we see malnutrition, we are
seeing depression, we see homelessness. People are coming to us
from a place of crisis," centre spokeswoman Tamara Domicelj told
Reuters.
Rights watchdog Amnesty International said more of the
100,000 overseas pilgrims who attended World Youth Day would seek
asylum once special three-month visitor visas expired. An
estimated 3,000 were still in the country.
"There are still a number of people in the community who came
out during World Youth Day. There is certainly an expectation
that some will decide to seek asylum rather that return," Amnesty
International refugee co-ordinator Graham Thom said.
Australia's new centre-left government last month dumped
mandatory detention in special immigration jails for asylum
hopefuls, saying it would now be used only for people who posed a
risk to the community.
The policy overturned a controversial practice enforced by
the previous government of sending asylum seekers to small
Pacific nations for processing. Many spent years behind razor
wire awaiting refugee visas.
Immigration officials refused to comment on the latest
applications, which also included some from Pakistan.
Sydney's Catholic Archbishop, Cardinal George Pell, said
while the church was sympathetic to the claims of pilgrims for
refuge in Australia, they had to follow Australian laws.
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