Uniting Church in Australia's President Rev. Alistair Macrae says yesterday's tragedy at Christmas Island is a graphic reminder of the desperate lack of hope that asylum seekers experience as they flee persecution.

The Uniting Church in Australia has welcomed today's announcement from the Australian Government that asylum seeker families and unaccompanied minors will be moved out of detention and into the community.

The Uniting Church in Australia has called on the Australian Government to urgently review the policy of the mandatory detention of asylum seekers.

At the recent National Council of Churches in Australia (NCCA) triennial forum, the Churches affirmed the Australian Governments right and responsiblity to ensure legitimate border protection but also expressed grave concern over the treatment of asylum seekers.

The Uniting Church in Australia believes that there is little reason to be anxious about boat arrivals and more reason to be anxious about the continuing use of traumatised people to score political points in an election year.

The use of asylum seekers for political point-scoring has now reached a new low. Leaders of the Uniting Church in Australia are horrified by the most recent remarks and policy announcement by the Opposition.

The Uniting Church in Australia has condemned the Australian Government's decision to house Afghan and Sri Lankan asylum seekers in the old Curtin detention centre.

President of the Uniting Church in Australia, Rev. Alistair Macrae has condemned the announcement today by Foreign Minister Stephen Smith and Immigration Minister Chris Evans that Australia has suspended the processing of all protection applications from Sri Lankan and Afghan asylum seekers.

President of the Uniting Church in Australia, Rev. Alistair Macrae and Anglican Archbishop of Perth, the Most Rev. Roger Herft have voiced concerns for the wellbeing of asylum seekers on Christmas Island following a recent visit.

The Uniting Church in Australia has written to Prime Minister Rudd and Shadow Minister for Immigration and Citizenship Sharman Stone to express concern and disappointment at the Government's responses to asylum seekers arriving by boat.