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14 December 2012Book page
Commission Website: National Inquiry into Children in Immigration Detention
Article 3(1) of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child provides that a child's best interests are to be a primary consideration in all actions concerning them. The Australian system, whereby the guardian of unaccompanied child asylum seekers is the Minister for Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs, rather than an authoritative, independent statutory body, does not ensure that the requirements of article 3(1) are met. -
14 December 2012Book page
DIAC Response to the 2011 Australian Human Rights Commission Statement on Immigration Detention at Curtin
The Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) welcomes the opportunity to respond to the Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) Public Statement on Immigration Detention in Curtin. -
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. -
14 December 2012Book page
National Inquiry into Children in Immigration Detention - Background Paper 3: Mental Health and Developmen
from Behaviours Associated with Victimisation in The Impact of Current and Traumatic Stressors on the Psychological Well-Being of Refugee Communities. [1] -
14 December 2012Book page
HREOC Website: National Inquiry into Children in Immigration Detention
DR OZDOWSKI: This is one of a series of hearings to be conducted around Australia. My name is Dr Sev Ozdowski and I am the Human Rights Commissioner and I am assisted in the Inquiry by two colleagues of mine, Mrs Robin Sullivan who is to the left of me, the Queensland Children's Commissioner. To the right of me is Dr Trang Thomas who is a Professor of Psychology at Melbourne Institute of Technology. Also at the table is sitting Ms Vanessa Lesnie who is Secretary to the Inquiry. -
Children's Rights17 July 2014Speech
Rights of children in schools: a human rights perspective on behaviour
Read a speech by the Children's Commissioner that highlights the importance of including the views of students when defining the rights of children. -
14 December 2012Book page
HREOC Website: National Inquiry into Children in Immigration Detention
DR OZDOWSKI: It is 9.30 so we will start another day off, formal hearings. My name is Dr Sev Ozdowski and I'm the Human Rights Commissioner. To my right is Dr Trang Thomas, Professor of Psychology at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology and to my left Mrs Robin Sullivan, Queensland's Children's Commissioner. Both of them do assist me with the Inquiry as Assistant Commissioners. Also, on my left Ms Vanessa Lesnie who is Secretary to the Inquiry. -
14 December 2012Book page
Commission Website: National Inquiry into Children in Immigration Detention
Lutheran Community Care, South Australia is pleased to use the opportunity to make a submission to the above Inquiry, based upon extensive experience and expertise in working with families, including refugee families. -
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
I am pleased to present herewith a submission on behalf of the Association of Childrens Welfare Agencies, addressing key issues for the Inquiry into Children in Immigration Detention. -
14 December 2012Book page
14. Unaccompanied Children in Immigration Detention
Most children come to Australia with their parents, but some come alone, either sent by their family for their protection or because they have lost their family in a crisis. -
14 December 2012Book page
Commission Website: National Inquiry into Children in Immigration Detention
The functions of Health Services Australia, the services it provides and that nature and extent of reports it makes on services provided to and in immigration detention centres (including also the provision of services to people who may be "in immigration detention" but not in a centre (for example, in a nominated hospital, goal, house in the community etc)); -
14 December 2012Book page
National Inquiry into Children in Immigration Detention
“I saw an Afghani guy cut his own throat in my compound – he was working with me in the kitchen that day, and after work, he went outside and he cut himself up everywhere. It was really hard. Even the officers started crying when this happened”. [17–year–old asylum-seeker] -
14 December 2012Book page
Commission Website: National Inquiry into Children in Immigration Detention
Contained in this document are recommendations from students of Amnesty International’s School’s Network who believe that the current system of undocumented asylum-seeker processing is inadequate. In this proposed procedure, both detention centres and the Temporary Protection Visa are abolished and are replaced by a system that is better (economically, socially, and psychologically) for both refugees and the Australian public. In it, special provisions are made to further protect children and minimise the stress involved in settling in Australia for them. -
14 December 2012Book page
Commission Website: National Inquiry into Children in Immigration Detention
The Federation of Parents and Citizens' Associations of New South Wales is committed to a free public education system which is open to all people irrespective of culture, gender, academic ability and socio-economic class and empowers students to control their own lives and be contributing members of society. This commitment is based on the belief that: -
14 December 2012Book page
Commission Website: National Inquiry into Children in Immigration Detention
The current mandatory detention policy of the Commonwealth of Australia breaches the fundamental principle of the rights of the child which is that children should be able to develop to their full potential. The policy breaches every article of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. The policy violates the right to health as established by international law. -
Legal14 December 2012Webpage
Commission submissions: Khafaji
The Commonwealth relies upon Australia's response to the UNHRC's decision in A v Australia.(34) Nothing flows from that response. The UNHRC hears individual complaints of violations of the ICCPR (called "communications") under the First Optional Protocol to the ICCPR. (35) Australia is a party to the First Optional Protocol. (36) The decisions or "views" of the UNHRC regarding those communications do not constitute legally binding decisions in international law. (37) However, as the UNHRC has noted: -
14 December 2012Book page
Annual Report 1999-2000: Human Rights
The experience of people in rural and remote Australia has always featured prominently in the Commission's work. During the reporting year the Commission undertook two major projects addressing the human rights of children and young people in rural and remote Australia. -
14 December 2012Book page
National Inquiry into Children in Immigration Detention - Background Paper 2: Culture and Identity
In those States in which ethnic, religious or linguistic minorities … exist, a child belonging to such a minority … shall not be denied the right, in community with other members of his or her group, to enjoy his or her own culture, to profess and practise his or her own religion, or to use his or her own language. -
14 December 2012Book page
Commission Website: National Inquiry into Children in Immigration Detention
In regard to the payment of $1 an hour. It's true there was no actual payment in cash terms but the equivalent rate of one point to one dollar allowed the detainees to purchase goods according to the number of points they had gained. I think it is a mere technicality and that, argued in a court of law, they were being paid for their assistance. The perception anyway from the detainees and ourselves was that they were being paid at the rate of $1 an hour. In one case that I know, a detainee teacher bought more than his points value in dollar terms. In his account he had some of his own money.