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This submission will focus on the current Australian immigration detention regime as it applies to minors. The regime will be examined based on data and information made available by the Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs (“DIMIA”) and supporting documentation ranging from government publications, the Flood Inquiry and testimonies given to the Australian Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission “HREOC” under oath.

[This is an extract from my honours thesis analysing Australia’s Mandatory Detention Policy giving special attention to the implications on refugee children.]

1. In my evidence before the Commission on Friday 31 May 2002 I noted that the number of children in refugee detention centres in Australia had fallen from 582 to 184 over the past 6 months but that 351 children remained in detention on Nauru and Manus Island as part of the ‘Pacific Solution’.

The City of Port Adelaide Enfield conducts regular public immunisation clinics for all residents. During 2001, families who were ex Woomera and Port Hedland detainees, who have settled in the local area, attended the immunisation clinics. It was evident that the families required special needs including interpreters, therefore the Community Health Nurse approached Child & Youth Health to undertake a joint pilot project to offer a specific program targeted at new arrivals to the area.

My name is Katie Brosnan. I am a permanent resident of Australia and a citizen of Ireland. I qualified as a high school teacher in Ireland in 1995 with a bachelor’s degree in education. I have taught in Ireland, Poland and Australia in mainstream educational facilities as well as with marginalized groups e.g. refugees in Ireland, gypsies in Ireland.

I have been provided with a copy of the submission submitted on behalf of the South Australian Coalition for Refugee Children. The Law Society has been concerned for some time with the treatment of refugees and asylum seekers. I enclose herewith a copy of the resolution of the Law Society on these matters. I particularly draw your attention to the Society’s position with respect to the detention of children. The submission of the SA Coalition for Refugee Children is well researched and the submissions have obvious force. I commend the submission to you. Yours sincerely

I am writing to express my serious concerns about the health and well-being of children, pregnant and lactating women and women of child bearing age in the groups of asylum seekers presently locked up in detention centres. I am also concerned about the men.

3. I am a qualified and registered Psychologist, and hold a BA, MA, Teaching Certificate, and PhD. I have been working as psychologist in Australia since 1978, and worked previously in Canada as a psychologist and teacher. I have also previously worked for Family and Youth Services in South Australia.

"Like sands shifted by restless winds, refugees spill today across the globe. They constitute a Fourth World, one whose inhabitants have no representation and over which they have no control."

Whilst employed as a registered nurse at the Woomera detention centre, it came within the parameters of my duties to treat all detainees, men, women, and children. I would like to share some anecdotes of some of those patient contacts that occurred between myself and specifically the children (or child related contacts). The dates of my employment at the WIRPC were early August 2000- mid February 2001, 3 x 6 week contracts. Each of these contracts were for 6 x 12 hour shifts per week, i.e. 72 hours per week.

Melbourne Citymission would like to thank you for the opportunity to provide input into your inquiry into children in immigration detention. It is an issue that goes to the very heart of how we as a nation care for our children. It is particularly pertinent to Melbourne Citymission as we are an organization committed to supporting and advocating on behalf of the marginalised.

Many of my clients (while I was working as a Child and Adolescent Counsellor with STARTTS June 2000 - January 2002) refused to talk about their experiences in Australian Immigration Detention Centres. In addition, several mothers only let me see their children for counselling on the condition that I not raise their Australian Detention experiences as it would distress them too much and they do not want to talk about it. This concerned me a lot.

I looked up and saw a long line of men, women and children waiting to have their blood taken. I was standing beside a small table in a RAAF tent with a co-worker. It was 40 degrees Celsius in the Kimberly November humidity. Both ends of our tent were open in a vain attempt to get a breeze through as we worked side by side with flies buzzing around our faces and hands and sweat running down our bodies. This was my first impression of a detention centre.

The disabled child [age removed], had cerebral palsy and from memory his family was [nationality removed]. I think his Curtin ID number was [removed] and his name [name removed]. His family arrived [date removed]. He had a couple of siblings, [age removed, name removed]. [Identifying details removed]. Last I heard was that the child was being cared for at Curtin (now closed) in the Health clinic by the nurses as the mother had refused to look after him anymore as she had exhausted all visa application processes and was still refused.

The following material was provided to the Inquiry by Michael Williams, Chairman of the Swedish Network of Refugee and Asylum Support Groups in a series of emails in April 2003.

The National Program on Refugees and Displaced People operates under the Christian World Service Commission of the National Council of Churches in Australia, which has been assisting refugees to resettle in Australia since 1948.

Special thanks goes to Maritza Manojlovic, Michele Nardelli and Rosemary Thompson who skilfully helped me to elaborate the arguments of the paper. To the Middle Eastern new arrivals that warmly welcomed me into their lives, ready to reveal their deepest concerns in the belief that they would be taken seriously, I say thank you. My greatest thanks goes to Mohammed Amirghiasvand for inspiring me to continue working in this area.

The National Association of Community Based Children's Services (NACBCS) is extremely concerned at the briefings we have received from our colleagues about the detention of children who are seeking asylum in Australia.

The National Association of Community Based Children's Services (NACBCS) represents long day care, preschool, occasional care and outside school hours care services that are community owned and managed. The members of NACBCS predominantly work in direct contact with children and families in the services and advocate for quality childcare services for young children.