The Australian Human Rights Committee found that 300
children committed or threatened self-harm, 30 reported sexual assault, 30 went
on hunger strike, and more than 200 were involved in assaults in an Australian
immigration detention. Many of the children and adults in the detention center
had been detained for over a year. The Forgotten Children report stated that
the detention was damaging children’s mental health, sometimes making them
extremely sick, and not giving them any education. 30% of the adults detained
with the children have moderate to severe mental illnesses. Australia is the
only country in the world that is required by law to detain unlawful
non-citizens, which includes children. However, under the international and
Australian law, children are supposed to be detained as a “last resort.” Some
of the children in the detention have been held for over 19 months because
their parents have an adverse security assessment by Asio. This raises concerns
about their physical and mental health as well as their future life
opportunities.
This has
been going on for years in this detention facility. In 2004, the Human Rights
Commission launched a 3 year inquiry into children in detention. They then
released on children in the detention. The Australian government needs to keep
up with what is happening in the detention since it is a law that children
should be detained as a last resort. Some children are being held for over a
year. This harms them mentally as well as physically with all the abuse being
reported. It is was also shown that even basic needs, such as basic hygiene and
drinking water, were not being met. Since the detention has been proven to
cause life-long harm, the Australian government should consider not detaining
children at all.
Emily Burris
02/13/15
10:44 am
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