ARCHDIOCESE OF SYDNEY REPORT:
Catholic Communications, Sydney Archdiocese,
22 Mar 2012
Dr John Falzon, CEO of the National Council of St Vincent de Paul Society has denounced the Government's broken promise to release the majority of asylum seeker children held in mandatory detention by June 2011.
But 15 months after the self imposed deadline more than 528 children remain in mandatory detention or held in alternative places of detention across Australia.
"I am deeply saddened to learn just how many children remain in detention," he said describing Australia's policy of mandatory detention, especially in the case of minors, as "an appalling practice and serious abuse of human rights."
"The continued detention of people who pose no danger to the community is unjustifiable by any moral standards," Dr Falzon says and urged the government to honour its promise of October 2010 to remove children from detention and into community care.
The National President of Vinnies, Anthony Thornton endorses Dr Falzon's comments and reiterates the Government's pledge to make changes to the nation's immigration detention policy and reverse what it described as "a shameful chapter in our history" by promising to "use detention only as a last resort and for the shortest practicable time."
Vinnies call for urgent Government action comes a day after the release of "Captured Childhoods," a devastating report by the International Detention Coalition (IDC) on the effect of detention on children which will be presented to the 19th Session of the United Nations Rights Council in Geneva later this year.
Catholic Religious Australia (CRA) together with Catholic Mission, Vinnies, Amnesty International Australia, ChilOut and other local refugee and asylum seeker organisations have given their full support to the IDC and its international campaign which has been financed in part by the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund.
Applauding IDC's efforts to put an end to a practice that causes so much long term emotional and mental damage to children, many of whom have fled civil war, conflict and persecution, Dr Falzon urged all Australians to sign the IDC's global petition against child detention.
"Every day around the world, thousands of children are locked up simply because they do not hold the right documentation. Many of these children are unaccompanied minors. The effect on children's physical, emotional and psychological development is devastating and must be stopped," the IDC states in its "Captured Childhood" report.
While many countries, including Australia continue to incarcerate children in detention centres, the IDC report reveals a handful of countries around the world such as Belgium, Argentina and Japan have successfully put the interests and wellbeing of the child first, and use community based alternatives to immigration detention.
"Holding children in detention is unacceptable and clearly in breach of Australia's responsibilities under the Refugee Convention and the UN Declaration on the Rights of the Child," says Sister Anne Higgins, OSLH of Catholic Religious Australia who has worked with asylum seeker children and families for more than 10 years.
In addition to the 528 children still being held in locked facilities, 4255 adults remain in similar conditions at detention centres across the country according to statistics released by the Department of Immigration last month. A further 551 children under 18 are living in residential detention within the community.
But as Fr Jim Carty, coordinator for the Marist Asylum Seeker and Refugee Centre says, the number of children released from detention remains far below that promised by Minister of Immigration Chris Bowen in October 2010. He cites the wide ranging investigation by the Australian Human Rights Commission in 2004 which found that not only did mandatory detention have a deleterious effect on children, but that those held in detention centres across the country were denied adequate healthcare, counselling and education.
The most recent example of this was the Government's decision to send 200 unaccompanied teenage boys to the remote Leonora Detention Centre in the WA outback, despite the fact they cannot be accommodated at the local high school and the centre has no schooling or education facilities.
At Broadmeadows in Melbourne, where unaccompanied teenage boys are also being held in detention as well as at Christmas Island, Darwin and Curtin there has been an increasing number of incidents of self harm and suicide attempts among children held as detainees. Many youngsters have also become so depressed and despairing after more than 314 days in detention, they are now isolated, withdrawn and non responsive.
"If our attitude to refugees is any measure of our humanity, we will be found badly wanting," warns Bishop Christopher Saunders, Chairman of the Australian Catholic Justice Council.
The IDC "Captured Childhood" Report was launched in Melbourne yesterday as well as in Britain, the USA, Europe and Malaysia.
To find out more and sign the global petition log on to www.endchilddetention.org
SOURCE: http://www.sydneycatholic.org/news/latest_news/2012/2012322_781.shtml
Catholic Communications, Sydney Archdiocese,
22 Mar 2012
Mandatory detention of children an abuse of Human Rights
But 15 months after the self imposed deadline more than 528 children remain in mandatory detention or held in alternative places of detention across Australia.
"I am deeply saddened to learn just how many children remain in detention," he said describing Australia's policy of mandatory detention, especially in the case of minors, as "an appalling practice and serious abuse of human rights."
"The continued detention of people who pose no danger to the community is unjustifiable by any moral standards," Dr Falzon says and urged the government to honour its promise of October 2010 to remove children from detention and into community care.
The National President of Vinnies, Anthony Thornton endorses Dr Falzon's comments and reiterates the Government's pledge to make changes to the nation's immigration detention policy and reverse what it described as "a shameful chapter in our history" by promising to "use detention only as a last resort and for the shortest practicable time."
Unaccompanied minors kept for more than a year
at Broadmeadow in desperation
sewed their lips together in protest
at Broadmeadow in desperation
sewed their lips together in protest
Catholic Religious Australia (CRA) together with Catholic Mission, Vinnies, Amnesty International Australia, ChilOut and other local refugee and asylum seeker organisations have given their full support to the IDC and its international campaign which has been financed in part by the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund.
Applauding IDC's efforts to put an end to a practice that causes so much long term emotional and mental damage to children, many of whom have fled civil war, conflict and persecution, Dr Falzon urged all Australians to sign the IDC's global petition against child detention.
"Every day around the world, thousands of children are locked up simply because they do not hold the right documentation. Many of these children are unaccompanied minors. The effect on children's physical, emotional and psychological development is devastating and must be stopped," the IDC states in its "Captured Childhood" report.
Razor wire and detention no place
for children or adults
for children or adults
"Holding children in detention is unacceptable and clearly in breach of Australia's responsibilities under the Refugee Convention and the UN Declaration on the Rights of the Child," says Sister Anne Higgins, OSLH of Catholic Religious Australia who has worked with asylum seeker children and families for more than 10 years.
In addition to the 528 children still being held in locked facilities, 4255 adults remain in similar conditions at detention centres across the country according to statistics released by the Department of Immigration last month. A further 551 children under 18 are living in residential detention within the community.
But as Fr Jim Carty, coordinator for the Marist Asylum Seeker and Refugee Centre says, the number of children released from detention remains far below that promised by Minister of Immigration Chris Bowen in October 2010. He cites the wide ranging investigation by the Australian Human Rights Commission in 2004 which found that not only did mandatory detention have a deleterious effect on children, but that those held in detention centres across the country were denied adequate healthcare, counselling and education.
Dr John Falzon
At Broadmeadows in Melbourne, where unaccompanied teenage boys are also being held in detention as well as at Christmas Island, Darwin and Curtin there has been an increasing number of incidents of self harm and suicide attempts among children held as detainees. Many youngsters have also become so depressed and despairing after more than 314 days in detention, they are now isolated, withdrawn and non responsive.
"If our attitude to refugees is any measure of our humanity, we will be found badly wanting," warns Bishop Christopher Saunders, Chairman of the Australian Catholic Justice Council.
The IDC "Captured Childhood" Report was launched in Melbourne yesterday as well as in Britain, the USA, Europe and Malaysia.
To find out more and sign the global petition log on to www.endchilddetention.org
SOURCE: http://www.sydneycatholic.org/news/latest_news/2012/2012322_781.shtml
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