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Children's Rights29 January 2015Publication
The Forgotten Children: National Inquiry into Children in Immigration Detention (2014)
Foreword Australia currently holds about 800 children in mandatory closed immigration detention for indefinite periods, with no pathway to protection or settlement. This includes 186 children detained on Nauru. Children and their families have been held on the mainland and on Christmas Island for, on average, one year and two months. Over 167 babies have been born in detention within the last 24 ... -
14 December 2012Book page
Terms of Reference - National Inquiry into Children in Immigration Detention
The Commissioner inquired into the adequacy and appropriateness of Australia's treatment of child asylum seekers and other children who are, or have been, held in immigration detention, including: -
14 December 2012Book page
Commission Website: National Inquiry into Children in Immigration Detention
1 To promote public support, both within Australia and internationally, for the improvement in the well-being and status of women and the development of reproductive health in families and individuals by means including- -
Asylum Seekers and Refugees9 July 2013Webpage
Alternatives to detention
Learn about the alternatives to mandatory immigration detention that allow for the protection of the community while ensuring people are treated humanely. -
14 December 2012Book page
1. Introduction
Please do not limit the audience of these reports to the Immigration Department and the Minister. We would like to urge you to educate the public to pass on the report to newspapers and the other electronic media so that the public can learn what is going on in the immigration detention camp, and I know that public opinion is shifting when they become aware of what is happening. Father, Port Hedland, June 2002 -
Asylum Seekers and Refugees11 April 2013Publication
Human Rights standards for immigration detention
This publication, Human rights standards for immigration detention, sets out benchmarks for the humane treatment of people held in immigration detention -
14 December 2012Book page
National Inquiry into Children in Immigration Detention
This submission aims to highlight a number of issues for children in immigration detention arising from the Department of Human Services' (DHS) involvement in child protection, health service provision to children and their families, settlement support and care of unattached minors. -
Asylum Seekers and Refugees23 October 2019Publication
Use of force in immigration detention
The issue of the use of force in immigration detention has been raised in a range of complaints against the Department of Home Affairs received by the Commission. This report deals thematically with 14 complaints. -
14 December 2012Book page
2010 Immigration detention on Christmas Island
This report contains a summary of observations made by the Australian Human Rights Commission (the Commission) during its 2010 visit to the immigration detention facilities on Christmas Island. -
Rights and Freedoms14 December 2012Speech
Diversity in Health 2003: Dr Sev Ozdowski OAM
Conference Convenors and Co-directors, distinguished guests from both Australia and overseas, ladies and gentlemen, all. I would like to acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land on which we stand and by so doing remind ourselves that Australia’s cultural traditions stretch back many thousands of years. -
14 December 2012Book page
National Inquiry into Children in Immigration Detention
"There have been times in our history when Australia has been generous and open hearted and times when it has been very mean. In 1938 at the Evian Conference about dealing with Jewish and other refugees from Hitler, Australia took a flint hearted position, saying that we did not want to import Europe's problems, or to increase racial differences, and that refugees should get back in the queue. -
14 December 2012Book page
HREOC Website: National Inquiry into Children in Immigration Detention
COMMISSIONER OZDOWSKI: Welcome to everyone. I would like to formally open this public hearing, the first of a series of hearings to be conducted around Australia. My name is Sev Ozdowski and I am the Human Rights Commissioner of Australia, and I have with me two Assistant Commissioners; to my right Professor Trang Thomas who is Professor of Psychology at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, and to my left Dr Robin Sullivan who is Queensland Commissioner for Children. I also have two counsel assisting. -
14 December 2012Book page
Commission Website: National Inquiry into Children in Immigration Detention
We must face up to our humanitarian responsibilities to accept refugee children and their families. We must take them out of the immigration detention centres and welcome them into the community where they can play, learn and grow. At least then when our children look back on this time and ask us what we did to stand up for refugee kids, we can say we gave them their childhood." (Calvert, 2001). -
14 December 2012Book page
16. Temporary Protection Visas for Children Released from Immigration Detention
The immigration status that results in the detention of children under Australian law also affects their entitlements to various services on release from detention, after they have been recognised as refugees. As discussed in Chapter 6 on Australia's Detention Policy, most children detained in immigration detention facilities for long periods are detained because they arrive in Australia without a visa (unauthorised arrivals). More than 90 per cent of those children are subsequently found to be refugees and are therefore released on temporary protection visas (TPVs). -
23 January 2014Book page
4. What are the Commission’s concerns about TPVs?
The Commission raised serious concerns about TPVs when they were used in Australia (with similar conditions attached) from 1999 to 2008. [6] Based on the negative impacts of TPVs on refugees when they were last used, the Commission is concerned that the reintroduction of TPVs may lead to breaches of Australia’s international human rights obligations, for the following reasons. Mental health impact ... -
Rights and Freedoms16 July 2013Webpage
DIAC Response to the 2012 Australian Human Rights Commission Report on Immigration Detention at Christmas Island
back to Commission's Immigration detention on Christmas Island report (2012) Department of Immigration and Citizenship Response to the 2012 Australian Human Rights Commission Report on Immigration Detention at Christmas Island Download in PDF [ 36 KB ] Download in Word [ 126 KB ] Introduction The Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) welcomes the opportunity to respond to the Australian ... -
Asylum Seekers and Refugees16 July 2013Publication
Review of Immigration Detention Centres (1999)
Findings of the Human Rights Commissioner after inspecting four immigration detention centres in 1998-99. -
14 December 2012Book page
Commission Website: National Inquiry into Children in Immigration Detention
The Australian Psychological Society categorically condemns the practice of detaining child asylum seekers and their families, on the grounds that it is not commensurate with psychological best practice concerning children’s development and mental health and wellbeing. Detention of children in this fashion is also arguably a violation of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. -
Commission – General3 June 2020E-bulletin (Monthly)
Community update: COVID-19 (June 2020)
Commission News June 2020 Commissioner update COVID-19 Dear friends, The last few weeks have seen a gradual return to some of our pre-pandemic freedoms in many parts of Australia. While physical distancing remains a vital element to maintaining low infection rates, it is clear that we welcome the opportunity to visit loved ones, travel and socialise. The Lucky Country, a term used favourably to ... -
Legal14 December 2012Webpage
HREOC submission to Inquiry into Immigration Detention in Australia
Recommendation 1: The Migration Act should be amended so that detention occurs only when necessary. This should be the exception not the norm. It must be for a minimal period, be reasonable and be a proportionate means of achieving at least one of the aims outlined in international law (ExComm Conclusion 44). These limited grounds for detention should be clearly prescribed in the Migration Act.