Advocacy groups across Australia took online action for refugee rights on Palm Sunday 2020
More than 40 Australian agencies united on Palm Sunday, 5 April to host a two-hour online event championing justice and dignity for refugees and people seeking asylum. The theme for this year’s event was “For a Just Future”.
Some News articles on the online event are below:
SPEAK UP for JUSTICE FOR REFUGEES on PALM SUNDAY 5th April 2020
Take action online #justice4refugees
Due to public health concerns, the 2020 Palm Sunday actions for Justice for Refugees across the country have been cancelled. Palm Sunday is traditionally a time to call for justice and peace – this is a call for Justice for Refugees and people seeking our protection.
As our community grapples with the health, safety and economic crisis of the coronavirus pandemic we must not forget that refugees and people seeking asylum here in Australia, and those held offshore, are still struggling with the injustices, insecurity and cruelty of the current polices. This is a time for us to speak up for justice, and for a safer future for all – especially those who are most vulnerable in our communities.
ONLINE ACTIONS & SOCIAL MEDIA:
- Actions you can now take right now:
- 4 online petitions
- Email politicians URGENTLY about two critical issues: See sample emails here
- COVID-19 crisis response – refugees and people seeking asylum must have INCOME SUPPORT- just like anyone else
- Don’t let immigration detention centres become hotspots for COVID-19
- Display signs in your windows
- Social media actions from 11am on Palm Sunday – including options for people who do not use social media – please include hashtag #justice4refugees to get this trending
- View and share the VIRTUAL EVENT and individual clips from 11am on Palm Sunday
- Background information on the key issues and sample selfie signs and templates
- Suggestions for faith groups
- Poster for Palm Sunday Justice for Refugees online – feel free to download here and share this!

ACTIONS YOU CAN NOW TAKE RIGHT NOW
- Sign 4 important online petitions – and share through your networks:
- Email politicians URGENTLY about two critical issues: See sample emails here
- COVID-19 crisis response – refugees and people seeking asylum must have INCOME SUPPORT
- Don’t let immigration detention centres become hotspots for COVID-19
- Display a sign in your street or window – REFUGEES ARE WELCOME HERE and/or #JUSTICE FOR REFUGEES – make your own or download below:
PALM SUNDAY – SPEAK UP FOR JUSTICE FOR REFUGEES – List of video clips
Click on live links for the Virtual Event and for individual speakers
- Tom Ballard, comedian and advocate for refugees
- Moz from Manus (Mostafa Azimitabar) now detained in the Mantra Hotel in Preston
- Shamindan Kanapathi, Sri Lankan Tamil refugee detained in PNG
- Faith leaders:
- Rev Peter Catt, Dean of St John’s Cathedral in Brisbane
- Dr Mohamed Mohideen, President of Islamic Council of Victoria;
- Bishop Philip Huggins, President of National Council of Churches in Australia;
- Rev Ian Smith, Executive Officer, Victorian Council of Churches
- Rabbi Ralph Genende;
- Sr Brigid Arthur, founder and Co-ordinator Brigidine Asylum Seeker Project
- Rocqiya from the refugee-led group Justice for Refugees
- Hassan Jaber, Justice for Refugees speaking about family reunion visas and lack of income support
- Lucy Honan, founder of Teachers for Refugees
- Alison Battisson is a human rights lawyer and refugee advocate and she created the Safer at Home Petition
- Canberra Refugee Action Campaign access to income safety net for people seeking asylum video and Covid-19 health risk – release people from detention video
- PALM SUNDAY VIRTUAL EVENT (all speakers) available here from 11am Sunday 5 April
SOME KEY MESSAGES FOR PALM SUNDAY 2020
- Give Refugees Permanent Protection Visas – #justice4refugees
- End the detention of refugees and people seeking asylum #FreeTheRefugees #justice4refugees
- Medicare and Centrelink for All – #justice4refugees
- Refugees are Welcome – #justice4refugees #WelcomeRefugees
Click here to find out more about What’s happening to refugees and people seeking asylum here in Australia and in PNG and Nauru
SOCIAL MEDIA ACTIONS: On Palm Sunday from 11am: make sure you use the hashtag #justice4refugees
If you don’t use social media – see below how you can be involved
Encourage your friends and others to get involved too.
1. Add our Facebook frame to your profile picture. Some frame options are here.
2. Watch and share the Palm Sunday Justice for Refugees virtual event and the individual speakers.
3. Take a selfie with a sign– you can find a template here – or make your own (this can be as simple as handwriting on a A4 piece of paper) and post to Facebook, Twitter and/or Instagram using the hashtag #Justice4Refugees. For ideas refer to key messages, background information and also see examples of selfies further down this page.
4. Make a 1 minute video clip and post on social media with hashtag #Justice4Refugees
5. Sign and Share the online petitions
- Safer at Home Petition
- Amnesty petition for release of refugees
- RCOA petition re COVID-19 response for refugees
- Justice for Refugees petition
6. View Photo Galleries
- Refugees are Welcome – Permanent Protection for Refugees
- End Detention – Free the Refugees
- End the Offshore Cruelty – Bring Them to Safety
IF YOU DON’T USE SOCIAL MEDIA YOU CAN STILL BE INVOLVED!
- Take one or more pictures of yourself holding up a sign with a statement – you can find a template here (link)– or make your own (this can be as simple as handwriting on an A4 piece of paper). You could also photograph a banner or placard if you have one. See key messages, background information and some examples of selfies on this page.
- Email your photograph/s to palmsundayrefugeemessages@gmail.com and we will post on social media on your behalf. Please include any text you want us to post with the photograph on social media.
- Make a 1 minute video clip and send to palmsundayrefugeemessages@gmail.com or save at https://www.dropbox.com/request/3kB59fuzuYBvTi68qTMP and we will post for you. Instructions for saving to dropbox are below.
Watch the Palm Sunday Justice for Refugees virtual event video clips here .
Email the link through your networks and encourage others to also share through their networks.
View photo galleries and email the links through your networks
- Refugees are Welcome – Permanent Protection for Refugees
- End Detention – Free the Refugees
- End the Offshore Cruelty – Bring Them to Safety
SUGGESTIONS FOR FAITH GROUPS – on or around Palm Sunday 5th April
Speak up for Justice for Refugees – online actions

Given the current public health concerns the Palm Sunday Walk will not go ahead. Palm Sunday is traditionally a time to call for justice and peace – this is a call for Justice for Refugees and people seeking our protection. As our community grapples with the health, safety and economic crisis of the coronavirus pandemic we must not forget that refugees and people seeking asylum here in Australia, and those held offshore, are still struggling with the injustices, insecurity and cruelty of the current polices. This is a time for us to speak up for justice, and for a safer future for all – especially those who are most vulnerable in our communities.
We are collating recorded presentations by our speakers including speakers from faith communities for the Speak Up for Justice for Refugees virtual event. It will be possible to view and download the video clips here (link coming soon) from 9am on Friday 3rd April. There is also poster that you can use to promote the online campaign – you can download the poster here
On or around Palm Sunday we are suggesting that faith communities support the Speak Up for Justice for Refugees online campaign by:
- PROMOTING JUSTICE FOR REFUGEES in your services – feel free to use the poster (download here)and any or all of the video clips in the List of video clips above. (These will be available from Friday 3rd April)
- ENCOURAGE PEOPLE IN YOUR NETWORKS TO PARTICIPATE by:
- SIGNING & SHARING THE ONLINE PETITIONS:
- Safer at Home Petition
- Amnesty petition for release of refugees
- RCOA petition re COVID-19 response for refugees
- Justice for Refugees petition
- DIRECTLY EMAILING MESSAGES to Prime Minister, Minister Alan Tudge, and Minister Jason Woodand your local MP (search here to find your local MP)
- WATCHING THE VIDEO CLIPS, which will be available here from Friday 3rd April.
- PARTICIPATING in the Speak Up for Justice for Refugees SOCIAL MEDIA CAMPAIGN – see details and ideas on this page. Use hashtag #justice4refugees
- RINGING THE BELLS for Justice for Refugees taking into account social distancing requirements
- We suggest you place prominent signage in the week leading up to Palm Sunday to alert the public that the bells will be ringing for Justice for Refugees on or around Palm Sunday. You can make up your own notice, or download a proforma notice here and add relevant details.
- Photograph your notice about the bells ringing and email to palmsundayrefugeemessages@gmail.com and we will add this to the online message board for Palm Sunday. If you have any banners or other displays you can also photograph outside your place of worship, please do so and send also! Post to your own Facebook page as well using the hashtag #justice4refugees.
We are looking forward to seeing your photographs and hearing about your Speak Up for Justice for Refugees activities. Please send to palmsundayrefugeemessages@gmail.com
If you have any queries please email Marie at info@refugeedvocacynetwork.org.au or call on 0409 252 673
On behalf of the Palm Sunday Planning Committee (Victoria)
Organised by the Refugee Advocacy Network
Endorsed by:
Academics for Refugees
Adelaide Vigil For Manus and Nauru
Amnesty International Victoria
Amnesty Refugee Network – VIC
Asylum Seeker Resource Centre (ASRC)
Australia Asia Worker Links
Australian Association of Social Workers
Australian Education Union Victoria
Australian Hazara Women’s Friendship Network Inc.-AHWFN
Australian Jewish Democratic Society (AJDS)
Australian Kurdish Federation
AMWU – Australian Manufacturing Workers’ Union
Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation (Vic)
Australian Refugee Action Network – ARAN
Australian Student Christian Movement
Australian Unions for Western Sahara
Australians for Kurdistan
Ballarat Catholic Social Justice Commission
Ballarat Refugee and Asylum Seeker Network
Bayside Refugee Advocacy and Support Association
Befriend a Child in Detention
Brigidine Asylum Seekers Project
Canberra Refugee Action Campaign
Catholic Alliance for People Seeking Asylum – CAPSA
Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne
Central Victorian Refugee Support Network
CFMEU Vic-Tas Construction & General Division
Christian Life Community
Combined Refugee Action Group
Darebin City Council
Doctors4refugees
Doing Justice Group, St Mark’s, Balnarring
East Gippsland Asylum Seekers Support Group – EGASS
Electrical Trades Union ETU – Electrical Trades Union of Australia, Victorian Branch
Ethnic Communities’ Council of Victoria
Fightback Aotearoa/Australia
Freedom Socialist Party
Grandmothers for Refugees
Grandmothers For Refugees – Ballarat
Grandmothers For Refugees – Bendigo
Hobsons Bay Refugee Network
House of Welcome
Humanists Victoria
Human Rights for All
IEU – Independent Education Union Victoria Tasmania
Iranian Women’s Association
ICV – Islamic Council of Victoria
Jesuit Social Services
Jewish Labour Bund Melbourne
Jews for Refugees
Justice for Refugees Victoria
Kindred – Welcoming Asylum Seekers with Kindness and Compassion
Kommonground Inc
Kurdish Democratic Community Centre of Victoria
Labor for Refugees Victoria
Liberty Victoria
Librarians For Refugees
Love Makes A Way
Maritime Union of Australia – Victoria Branch
Melbourne Unitarian Peace Memorial Church Inc.
Melbourne United Eritrean Community
Migrant Workers Centre
Montmorency Asylum Seekers Support Group
Mornington Peninsula Human Rights Group
Mums 4 Refugees
NTEU National Tertiary Education Union
Northside Youth with Refugees
Northsiders with Refugees
Pax Christi Victoria
People for Human Rights & Equality – phre.org.au
Philippine Caucus for Peace
Philippines Australia Solidarity Association – PASA
Radical Women
Rail Tram and Bus Union Victoria RTBU Victoria
Rainbow Atheists
Refugee Action Collective (Victoria)
Refugee Advocacy Network
Refugee Council of Australia (RCOA)
Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) Victoria Regional Meeting Inc. Quakers Australia
Refugee Legal
Rural Australians for Refugees – National
Rural Australians for Refugees – Aireys Inlet
Rural Australians for Refugees – Casey/Cardinia
Rural Australians for Refugees – Ballarat
Rural Australians for Refugees – Bendigo
Rural Australians for Refugees – Castlemaine
Rural Australians for Refugees – Daylesford
Rural Australians for Refugees – Grampians/Gariwed
Rural Australians for Refugees – Healesville
Rural Australians for Refugees – Macedon Ranges
Rural Australians for Refugees – Queenscliff
Rural Australians for Refugees – South Gippsland
Rural Australians for Refugees – Surf Coast
Rural Australians for Refugees – Warrnambool
Sacred Heart Church St Kilda
Shamama Association of Australia
Sisters of the Good Samaritan
Socialist Alliance
Socialist Alternative
Solidarity
St Margaret’s Anglican Church – Eltham
Tamil Refugee Council
Teachers for Refugees VIC
Unionists for Refugees Victoria
Uniting Church Synod of Victoria and Tasmania
University of Canberra Refugee Action Club
Victorian Afghan Associations Network
Victorian Allied Health Professionals Association
Victorian Student Christian Movement
Victorian Trades Hall Council
Victorian Council of Churches
Yarra City Council
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