"Like sands shifted by restless winds, refugees spill across the globe. They constitute a Fourth World, one whose inhabitants have no representation and over which they have no control. No one even knows exactly how many refugees there are. Whatever their number they are the symbols of the twentieth century" (and now the twenty first) The Quality of Mercy: by William Shawcross. (1984)

The House of Welcome, a project of the New South Wales Ecumenical Council, was initially established in 2001 to provide assistance to asylum Seekers who were released from detention on Temporary Protection Visas. A recent (March 2008) and laudable decision by the Labor Government to abolish this Visa, has had a profound impact on the lives of those seeking asylum.

However over the years new Government policies and the ongoing and complex needs of refugees and asylum seekers have led the House of Welcome to expand its services to include: those asylum seekers on Bridging Visas Es awaiting an immigration decision; those on Temporary Humanitarian visas; those who are in transition or their future is unresolved; and on a case by case basis, those who have received Permanent Protection Visas but who are in particular need.