The morality of Asylum-seeker policy and the religion of politicians: the (bad) example of Australia

Australia has a long history of Christian Prime Ministers. While many disavow any impact from their private devotion on policy-formation, recently certain Prime Ministers have been open about relating their faith to their policies. Prime Ministers John Howard, Kevin Rudd, Tony Abbott and now Malcolm Turnbull are all open about their religious affiliation. Rudd wrote a widely read essay on the influence of Dietrich Bonhoeffer on his formation. Yet all four have endorsed the cruellest policy of detention for ‘boat people’ where they have been interned in the toxic environment of foreign concentration camps in Papua New Guinea and Nauru. Huge funds are paid to them to keep surveillance over the detainees, among whom are tiny children and young people. Rapes, physical torture and deaths occur in the camps (including the murder of a refugee by a camp employee). The Abbott Government traduced the Head of the Australian Human Rights Commission for publicizing the torments of the victims, and made it illegal for anyone working on the islands to report cases of mistreatment. The churches have protested vigorously against the abuse of internees by private ‘security’ companies. They have forcefully promoted scriptural calls to hospitality, compassion and justice. This is a case of immorality on the part of self-declared religiously motivated leaders.