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This page was first created in November, 2014
Introduction
Introduction
NATIONWIDE regulations are urgently needed to cover situations when Australians are engaging surrogates to have children for them.
The range of assisted reproductive technologies available today presents many legal, moral and ethical challenges. These are challenges we can no longer ignore and require national, state and international leadership.
The former and current ministers for immigration and border security, Chris Bowen and Scott Morrison, agree on one thing: that asylum seeker children are not detained to deter people smuggling. Rather, it appears that patrol boats and naval frigates, commanded by a three star general, and a refusal to allow refugees to settle here, have reduced the number of boats reaching Australia.
Why detain children if this policy is not aimed at deterring people smuggling, nor stopping the tragic drowning of asylum seekers at sea?
In 2014, the National Children's Commissioner worked with Early Childhood Australia (ECA) to develop a Statement of Intent on Children’s Rights in Early Childhood Education and Care (Statement of Intent).
This Charter of Rights tells you what you can expect while you are detained. The rights apply to everyone so you have to respect other people’s rights.
By Gillian Triggs
Posted 24 Jul 2014, 3:48pm
Photo: A drawing by a child in the Christmas Island detention centre in 2014. (Supplied: Australian Human Rights Commission)
Asylum seeker children and their families in detention on Christmas Island are plagued by despair and helplessness - and the situation is only deteriorating, writes Gillian Triggs.
A team from the Australian Human Rights Commission has just returned from Christmas Island where we met extremely distressed mothers and children - including a number of young mothers on 24-hour suicide watch.
The Commission has long held serious concerns about the impact of Australia’s mandatory immigration detention system, particularly on children.
In 1999-2000 the numbers of children in detention began to significantly increase. In November 2001, when there were over 700 children in detention, Human Rights Commissioner Dr Sev Ozdowski announced an inquiry into children in immigration detention. The Inquiry published its report, A last resort? National Inquiry into Children in Immigration Detention, in April 2004.
