Death rate high among the homeless in Sudan
Up to 70,000 people displaced in the Darfur region of Sudan have died as a result of their precarious living conditions. The World Health Organisation says most of the deaths are due to diarrhoeal diseases and malnutrition. UN

Human Rights Watrchdog says Israeli forces contravened international law
Israel has been accused of exaggerating the threats posed by Palestinian arms smugglers to justify a military campaign in the Gaza refugee camp. The military action has seen some civilians killed and 16,000 left homeless. Reuters

Proposed refugee holding centre unlikely
France and Spain have rejected a plan by Italy and Germany to establish refugee holding centers in North Africa. The proposal called for the European Union to build overseas reception camps in an effort to halt the flow of illegal immigrants. International Herald Tribune

Iranian Christian seeking sanctuary sent home
The Federal Government has forcibly deported an Iranian Christian to Iran, sparking criticism from church groups that he has been placed at risk. The Age

Asylum Seekers returned to danger
The Edmund Rice Centre and the Australian Catholic University have conducted research into the experiences of rejected asylum seekers as they returned home from Australia. Of 40 returnees, 35 were found to be in immediate danger, often because they were given invalid or outdated paperwork. ABC

See the full results of the research here
(Edmund Rice Centre)

Demolishing houses in the Gaza strip
"Evicting someone from the home they've lived in for 20 years isn't a simple matter...To remove a family from its home is embarrassing and difficult, and that is why the removal needs to be done with a lot of love and a lot of wisdom." Guardian (UK)

History sheds light on present moral obligations
"Over a 12-month period in 1949-50, Australia, with a population of hardly more than a third of today's, accommodated about 100,000 displaced people and refugees at a time when the country, and the majority of its citizens, were not nearly as affluent as they are today." The Age

Refugee Council of Australia
This site has an extensive file of fascinating statistics including the top ten refugee hosting countries, regional distribution of refugees worldwide, and length of time spent by adults and children in Australian detention centres.

Young, Muslim and French
Islam is now the second largest religion in France, Catholicism being the largest. This programs looks at the lives of young Muslims in the country and the debate and frustration being experienced following the introduction of a law banning the wearing of headscarves in schools.

Cutting Edge SBS-TV 8.30pm
Tuesday November 9, 2004

"Comfort all who have lost their homes
through persecution, war, exile,
or deliberate destruction.
Give them security, a place to live,
and neighbors they trust
to be, with them,
a new sign of peace to the world. Amen."
Anglo Catholic Socialism