Tony Zappia (Makin, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Manufacturing) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Earlier this month, I presented a Barnabas Aid petition drawing attention to the genocide of Christians and other minorities. On 22 May, there was the senseless killing of 22 people at the Ariana Grande concert in Manchester, England. I understand that about 116 people were also injured, and many of those are still in a critical condition. It seems that they were targeted because they were Westerners. Christianity and Western culture are often seen as one and the same by extremists. Last Friday, another 28 Coptic Christians were mercilessly killed in Egypt whilst travelling to a monastery. I understand that an equal number were wounded. Amongst the victims were also women and children. They were killed because they were Christians. It brings to over 100 the number of Coptic Christians who have been killed in Egypt since Christmas. Their deaths were not given the same level of media coverage in Australia as the Manchester killings, but those Coptic Christians were also innocent victims of extremists, and they have families who will equally grieve for them.

Being a Christian in many non-Christian countries raises the level of risk to a person's safety. As I have previously noted, 80 per cent of all acts of religious persecution in the world today are against Christians. Being a Christian in the Middle East, particularly where IS has a presence, becomes an even greater risk. I acknowledge that Christians are not the only target, but Christians have become a frequent and easy target for extremists. The facts speak for themselves.

Today I join my Labor colleagues and the many community voices in calling for the government to allow people who are here as refugees or on temporary visas and who are at grave risk if they return to their homeland to be granted refuge in Australia. I understand that there are presently over 20 Coptic families—that is, about 80 people—that are facing deportation to Egypt after having had their applications rejected. I urge the minister to reconsider those cases. I also welcome the comments made just a few moments ago by the assistant minister in respect of those cases. In saying that, I acknowledge the work that has been put in by Labor's shadow minister for immigration and other Labor speakers in supporting those applications and those people being allowed to remain in Australia. I suspect it is because of the heightened publicity that was provided in respect of those families that the government has agreed to reconsider them. I also, in the same breath, urge the minister to take into account the very real ongoing risks to the lives of Christian refugees when considering other applications under Australia's refugee intake program.