Our Story

The vision of Fr Pedro Arrupe

The Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) was founded in November 1980 by Fr Pedro Arrupe SJ, then Superior General of the Society of Jesus, in response to the plight of Vietnamese refugees fleeing their war-ravaged homeland.

Following the end of the Vietnam War in 1975, hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese people fled their homes, travelling in overcrowded boats across the South China Sea. Many died during the perilous journey, killed by pirates or lost to storms and rough seas.

Moved by their suffering, Fr Arrupe called on Jesuits around the world “to bring at least some relief to such a tragic situation”. He wrote to more than 50 Jesuit provinces, inviting them to respond to the crisis and recognising the Society of Jesus’ capacity to coordinate a global humanitarian response.

JRS was established to bring that response together. From the beginning, its purpose was to be present alongside refugees and displaced people, responding to their needs with compassion and practical assistance.

From a regional response to a global mission

JRS Asia Pacific was established in 1981, when Fr Arrupe asked Fr Mark Raper to develop the regional service. Its early work focused on Vietnamese refugees and Cambodians fleeing the Khmer Rouge.

As conflicts and displacement continued across the world, JRS grew beyond its initial response in Southeast Asia. Jesuits and their collaborators began accompanying refugees in communities and camps across Africa, the Americas, Europe and Asia.

On 19 March 2000, JRS was officially registered as a foundation of the Vatican City State.

Today, JRS is an international Catholic organisation working in more than 50 countries. Although the contexts in which it works have changed over the decades, its mission remains steadfast in the original call of Fr Arrupe: to accompany, serve and advocate for people on the move.

The story of JRS Australia

The story of JRS in Australia began alongside the early international response to displacement in our region. Australian Jesuits were already involved in supporting refugees in the 1970s, including through the Asian Bureau Australia, established in 1973.

In 1981, Fr Arrupe’s request to Australian Jesuit, Fr Mark Raper, S.J., to establish JRS Asia Pacific, strengthened the connections between this existing work and the emerging international service.

JRS began operating in Australia in Parkville, Melbourne, in 1982, before transferring to Sydney in 1989.

Australian Jesuits continued to play important roles in accompanying refugees and people on the move across the Asia Pacific region, including through leadership of the regional JRS office and contributions to social justice research, advocacy and community services.

In 2014, JRS Australia established a new drop-in hospitality centre in Western Sydney, known as Arrupe Place, in honour of its founder. The centre provided a place for people seeking asylum to access support, build relationships and find community.

Over time, JRS Australia’s work has continued to develop in response to the circumstances and needs of refugees and people seeking asylum globally, and those facing prolonged uncertainty and family separation under restrictive policies here in Australia.

Today, we operate both direct services and community programs, alongside advocacy and engagement across Australia.

We now have two community spaces in Western Sydney: Our main JRS office in Parramatta, and our protected Women’s Space, welcoming women and children on temporary visas who are experiencing violence.

Continuing Arrupe’s vision

More than four decades after Fr Arrupe founded JRS, our commitment to refugees and other forcibly displaced people remains unwavering.

We continue to stand alongside people on the move, and people who seek safety in our communities, working towards a world where their dignity is upheld, their rights are respected, and peace and justice are pursued.

JRS Australia draws deeply on the legacy of those who established JRS, those who have nurtured it to now, and our international community of colleagues working towards the same vision for a better world.

We also know that our story is still unfolding.