Asylum Children ‘abused by state’ A coalition of Church leaders has accused the Federal Government of “state sanctioned child abuse” and called for the Minister for Immigration to be stripped of guardianship responsibility for unaccompanied child asylum seekers. This follows the launch in Melbourne today of a new report detailing what the Australian Council of Churches Refugee Taskforce says is neglect and abuse of many of the unaccompanied child asylum seekers held in closed and offshore immigration detention facilities by Australia. australianchurchesrefugeetaskforce.au/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/ProtectingTheLonelyChildren.pdf “These vulnerable children are being locked away behind razor wire for the ‘crime’ of being born in countries in political and social turmoil,” the chair of the taskforce, the Very Reverend Dr Peter Catt said. “It is a sick joke that under Australia’s inadequate Guardianship Act their jailor is also their guardian, the Minister for Immigration,” he said. “These children are held like animals in conditions that are inhumane, interrogated without support or representation, shipped around the country and offshore in the middle of the night, and denied basic rights including education. “Given the Government continues to ignore irrefutable independent evidence from health and legal experts about the plight of these children we have no hesitation in labelling this what it is – state sanctioned child abuse.” Dr Catt said the Taskforce, made up of representatives from Anglican, Assyrian, Baptist, Catholic, Churches of Christ, Lutheran, Quaker, Salvation Army and Uniting Church denominations, called for: Fundamental reform of the Guardianship Act to ensure an independent guardian of unaccompanied child asylum seekers. Establishment of a properly resourced independent Statutory Office for the Guardianship of Minors. A new inquiry by the Australian Human Rights Commission into the conditions of children in community detention programs. Ending offshore detention of unaccompanied minors and in favour of community care in Australia. Developing better care standards to end the “care lotto” – wildly varying conditions depending on provider and location. “We gave the Minister for Immigration, Scott Morrison, and his Labor counterpart, Richard Marles, right of reply to the draft report we published, back in October last year, Dr Catt said. “That neither politician provided substantial or satisfactory responses to the serious issues raised by the Taskforce back in October last year, confirms the utter moral failure of leadership in this country.” Celebrated human rights lawyer David Manne will join Dr Catt and Sister Brigid Arthur to launch Protecting the Lonely Children: Recommendations to the Australian Government and the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child with respect to unaccompanied children who seek asylum and refuge in Australia at 10.30am on Wednesday 30 July at St Paul’s Cathedral, corner of Flinders and Swanston streets, Melbourne. It will be available online at acrt.au Media enquiries: Ingrid Svendsen, Grounded Communications, 0409 007 530 Misha Coleman, Executive Officer, Australian Churches Refugee Taskforce, 0428 399 739
Posted on: Wed, 30 Jul 2014 12:40:30 +0000