children of asylum seekers by detrimentum 2015/02/12 13:10
Inquiry: Children in Australian
immigration detention abused
BY KRISTEN GELINEAU, ASSOCIATED PRESS
February 12, 2015
SYDNEY — Australia's policy of indefinitely holding
children of asylum seekers in immigration
detention camps violates international laws, the
government's human rights watchdog found, after
an inquiry uncovered hundreds of reports of
assaults involving child detainees.
The head of Australia's Human Rights Commission
called Thursday for the swift release of children
from detention centers and demanded a royal
commission — the nation's most powerful form of
inquiry — into Australia's longstanding practice of
mandatory detention for asylum seekers who travel to Australia by boat.
"What is now required, we think, is a full royal
commission into a policy that's been in existence
for 23 years that has brought deep damage and
despair and misery to thousands of children and
their families," Human Rights Commission President
Gillian Triggs said. "Australia is ashamed of this policy and we need a new road to deal with these
problems."
The government dismissed the commission's
findings, with Prime Minister Tony Abbott dubbing
the report "blatantly partisan." Immigration Minister
Peter Dutton said in a statement that some of the report's recommendations would undermine "the
very policies that mean children don't get on boats
in the first place."
Between January 2013 and March 2014, there
were 233 assaults involving child detainees and 33
reported sexual assaults — the majority of which involved children. In that same period, 128
detained children tried to harm themselves,
engaging in everything from self-cutting to
swallowing insect repellent. More than a third of
detained children suffer from mental health
disorders.
"I don't have any hope," one teenager detained on
Christmas Island told the commission. "I feel I will
die in detention."
The commission wants the government to ban
indefinite detention, close the "harsh and cramped"
Christmas Island camp, get children off Nauru and appoint an independent guardian for
unaccompanied minors.
The report comes as little surprise, given that the
commission held a similar inquiry a decade ago
raising the same concerns: that children who spend
a long time in detention are at high risk of serious mental harm, that mandatory detention of children
violates international laws, that conditions in some
camps are deplorably bad — unsanitary, unsafe,
and unsuitable for children.
Australia holds about 300 children in its mainland
and offshore camps, down from a peak of about 2,000 in 2013. The nearly 120 being held on Nauru
are suffering from "extreme levels" of physical,
emotional, psychological and developmental
distress, the commission found.
"The Human Rights Commission ought to be
ashamed of itself," Abbott told Fairfax Radio. "Where was the Human Rights Commission when
hundreds of people were drowning at sea?"
Asked if he felt any guilt about the treatment of
children in detention, Abbott replied: "None
whatsoever."
Inquiry: Children in Australian
immigration detention abused
BY KRISTEN GELINEAU, ASSOCIATED PRESS
February 12, 2015
SYDNEY — Australia's policy of indefinitely holding
children of asylum seekers in immigration
detention camps violates international laws, the
government's human rights watchdog found, after
an inquiry uncovered hundreds of reports of
assaults involving child detainees.
The head of Australia's Human Rights Commission
called Thursday for the swift release of children
from detention centers and demanded a royal
commission — the nation's most powerful form of
inquiry — into Australia's longstanding practice of
mandatory detention for asylum seekers who travel to Australia by boat.
"What is now required, we think, is a full royal
commission into a policy that's been in existence
for 23 years that has brought deep damage and
despair and misery to thousands of children and
their families," Human Rights Commission President
Gillian Triggs said. "Australia is ashamed of this policy and we need a new road to deal with these
problems."
The government dismissed the commission's
findings, with Prime Minister Tony Abbott dubbing
the report "blatantly partisan." Immigration Minister
Peter Dutton said in a statement that some of the report's recommendations would undermine "the
very policies that mean children don't get on boats
in the first place."
Between January 2013 and March 2014, there
were 233 assaults involving child detainees and 33
reported sexual assaults — the majority of which involved children. In that same period, 128
detained children tried to harm themselves,
engaging in everything from self-cutting to
swallowing insect repellent. More than a third of
detained children suffer from mental health
disorders.
"I don't have any hope," one teenager detained on
Christmas Island told the commission. "I feel I will
die in detention."
The commission wants the government to ban
indefinite detention, close the "harsh and cramped"
Christmas Island camp, get children off Nauru and appoint an independent guardian for
unaccompanied minors.
The report comes as little surprise, given that the
commission held a similar inquiry a decade ago
raising the same concerns: that children who spend
a long time in detention are at high risk of serious mental harm, that mandatory detention of children
violates international laws, that conditions in some
camps are deplorably bad — unsanitary, unsafe,
and unsuitable for children.
Australia holds about 300 children in its mainland
and offshore camps, down from a peak of about 2,000 in 2013. The nearly 120 being held on Nauru
are suffering from "extreme levels" of physical,
emotional, psychological and developmental
distress, the commission found.
"The Human Rights Commission ought to be
ashamed of itself," Abbott told Fairfax Radio. "Where was the Human Rights Commission when
hundreds of people were drowning at sea?"
Asked if he felt any guilt about the treatment of
children in detention, Abbott replied: "None
whatsoever."
Xiao Zen 2015/02/12 13:38
I do not believe these policies will change in the immediate future. Perhaps it is cynical of me but it would seem to me that conditions are as bad as they are to discourage asylum seekers from seeking it in Australia.
It is a time of great instability, this forces many to seek refuge outside their own countries. Many nations are feeling the weight of the burden of sheltering refugees, some bear the burden well in spite of this while other do not.
I do not believe these policies will change in the immediate future. Perhaps it is cynical of me but it would seem to me that conditions are as bad as they are to discourage asylum seekers from seeking it in Australia.
It is a time of great instability, this forces many to seek refuge outside their own countries. Many nations are feeling the weight of the burden of sheltering refugees, some bear the burden well in spite of this while other do not.
detrimentum 2015/02/12 13:40
They think they are tolerant people though... Yet its clear that they arent.
Quote: jacki: They are not human, very cruel and sadistic
They think they are tolerant people though... Yet its clear that they arent.
detrimentum 2015/02/12 13:44
its children... In my opinion that's all they should be labeled as. Not refugees, asylum seekers or immigrants.... Children. And this from a ''civilized'' country. Bloody disgusting I tell you.... Being oppressed by islam while opressing children without guilt.... How does that work?
Quote: Opium: I do not believe these policies will change in the immediate future. Perhaps it is cynical of me but the it would seem to me that conditions are as bad as they are to discourage asylum seekers from seeking it in Australia.
It is a time of great instability, this forces many to seek refuge outside their countries. Many nations are feeling the weight of the burden of sheltering refugees, some bear the burden well in spite of this while other do not.
It is a time of great instability, this forces many to seek refuge outside their countries. Many nations are feeling the weight of the burden of sheltering refugees, some bear the burden well in spite of this while other do not.
its children... In my opinion that's all they should be labeled as. Not refugees, asylum seekers or immigrants.... Children. And this from a ''civilized'' country. Bloody disgusting I tell you.... Being oppressed by islam while opressing children without guilt.... How does that work?
Xiao Zen 2015/02/12 22:22
It is disgusting and ideally they should just be thought of as children nothing more or less, this is true, however they are not Australian children and to some people the distinction matters. I do not mean to suggest that all Australians are this way, that would neither be fair nor accurate but Australian society in general needs to ask itself some hard and frank questions, this much I will say.
Quote: ethereal:
its children... In my opinion that's all they should be labeled as. Not refugees, asylum seekers or immigrants.... Children. And this from a ''civilized'' country. Bloody disgusting I tell you.... Being oppressed by islam while opressing children without guilt.... How does that work?
its children... In my opinion that's all they should be labeled as. Not refugees, asylum seekers or immigrants.... Children. And this from a ''civilized'' country. Bloody disgusting I tell you.... Being oppressed by islam while opressing children without guilt.... How does that work?
It is disgusting and ideally they should just be thought of as children nothing more or less, this is true, however they are not Australian children and to some people the distinction matters. I do not mean to suggest that all Australians are this way, that would neither be fair nor accurate but Australian society in general needs to ask itself some hard and frank questions, this much I will say.
TemPEST 2015/02/12 22:33
Everyone is blasting Australia which i think is wrong.
Where in the world illegal immigrants dont get jailed be it children/adult
while Australia is being lambasted what are the leaders of the said children country get
at least being in detention is better than drowning
Everyone is blasting Australia which i think is wrong.
Where in the world illegal immigrants dont get jailed be it children/adult
while Australia is being lambasted what are the leaders of the said children country get
at least being in detention is better than drowning
detrimentum 2015/02/13 06:44
Detention isn't the problem. The conditions of the detention is the problem....you can detain illegal immigrants, its your right as a country, but according to international law you are not allowed to abuse them so severely that they become mentally ill and suicidal. And you should make sure no child is sexually abused while in your custody. How hard is that? they can put them on the next available boat and send them back home if they wish... But instead they detain them on an island.
If their country cared about them they wouldn't be taking the risk of detention in a foreign country.
South Africa is a funny little country ( see SONA 2015. lol) but even our government doesn't do this... america sends them home without abusing their children... Canada, one of the strictest countries regarding immigration just sends them home... because its inhumane to detain people and children in such a manner... They are nothing but captors of children who had no choice but to go with their parents. So australia has absolutely no reason or excuse for their actions.
Quote: TemPEST: Everyone is blasting Australia which i think is wrong.
Where in the world illegal immigrants dont get jailed be it children/adult
while Australia is being lambasted what are the leaders of the said children country get
at least being in detention is better than drowning
Where in the world illegal immigrants dont get jailed be it children/adult
while Australia is being lambasted what are the leaders of the said children country get
at least being in detention is better than drowning
Detention isn't the problem. The conditions of the detention is the problem....you can detain illegal immigrants, its your right as a country, but according to international law you are not allowed to abuse them so severely that they become mentally ill and suicidal. And you should make sure no child is sexually abused while in your custody. How hard is that? they can put them on the next available boat and send them back home if they wish... But instead they detain them on an island.
If their country cared about them they wouldn't be taking the risk of detention in a foreign country.
South Africa is a funny little country ( see SONA 2015. lol) but even our government doesn't do this... america sends them home without abusing their children... Canada, one of the strictest countries regarding immigration just sends them home... because its inhumane to detain people and children in such a manner... They are nothing but captors of children who had no choice but to go with their parents. So australia has absolutely no reason or excuse for their actions.
NinthElement 2015/02/19 03:30
The Australian government's whole attitude towards asylum seekers is consistently mean-spirited, and such ugly policies that fail to treat even children as innocent victims seem purposely designed to demonstrate that uncharitable standpoint. The strong have a responsibility to protect the helpless.
The Australian government's whole attitude towards asylum seekers is consistently mean-spirited, and such ugly policies that fail to treat even children as innocent victims seem purposely designed to demonstrate that uncharitable standpoint. The strong have a responsibility to protect the helpless.
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