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We refer to our telephone conversation with [name removed] on 3 May 2002 from your office agreeing to an extension of time to enable our agency to lodge its submission on the adequacy and appropriateness of Australia’s treatment of child asylum seekers and other children, who are, or have been held in immigration detention.

According to National Ethnic Disability Alliance (NEDA) as of 5 February 2002 there were 16 children with disabilities such as vision impairment, acute dwarfism, trauma, Perthes disease, cardiac, asthmatic and genetic disabilities residing in detention centres (Port Hedland and Woomera). This number does not include any of the detained refugees on the Pacific Islands like Nairu, Christmas Islands and other Australian detention centres in third countries.

The Australian Association for Infant Mental Health (AAIMH) is the Australian Affiliate of the World Association for Infant Mental Health. It aims to improve professional and public recognition that infancy is a critical period in psychosocial development for infants and the family and to provide a focus for multidisciplinary interaction and co-operation for those who are involved and interested in working with infants and caregivers.

This paper contains a comparison of the policies and procedures of Australia, the United Kingdom, the United States and Canada for dealing with children as asylum seekers. This comparison reveals two main differences.

Artwork Submitted to the Inquiry 4. Drawing provided by a former child detainee in a focus group of the Inquiry. To return to the Artwork Index page click here. Last Updated 9 January 2003. ...

Artwork Submitted to the Inquiry 6. Drawing provided by a child at Baxter IDF and given to Commission staff during visit. To return to the Artwork Index page click here. Last Updated 6 March 2003. ...

This submission is made on behalf of the Australian Catholic Migrant and Refugee Office (ACMRO). It addresses some of the terms of reference of the Inquiry.

Artwork Submitted to the Inquiry 5. Comments made by former child detainee on cover of HREOC Report, Those who've come across the seas To return to the Artwork Index page click here. Last Updated 9 January 2003. ...

This submission provides information relevant to the treatment of children in detention for the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission's national inquiry into the situation of children in immigration detention.

States Parties shall take appropriate measures to ensure that a child who is seeking refugee status or who is considered a refugee in accordance with applicable international or domestic law and procedures shall, whether unaccompanied or accompanied by his or her parents or by any other person, receive appropriate protection and humanitarian assistance in the enjoyment of applicable rights set forth in the present Convention and in other international human rights or humanitarian instruments to which the said States are Parties.

This submission will comment on the Mental Health and development needs of child asylum seekers from an analysis of the interview transcripts from nine refugees who have an experience of detention in Australia. 12th March 2002

The National Council of Women of Australia is a voluntary organisation working for the advancement of women through a vast network of affiliated organisations & individual members.

The Social Justice In Early Childhood Group (SJIECG) was formed in 1996 and is made up of early childhood professionals focussed on social justice issues as they relate to children and their families. The group aims to raise the awareness of social justice issues within the early childhood profession. The group membership includes teachers, students, childrens services managers, additional needs workers and administrators. Group members are based in Sydney, but work in local, state and national services.

The Commonwealth has some statutory obligations to set standards: eg, under the Quarantine Act 1908 (see below), and the Therapeutic Goods Act 1989 (to provide a national framework for the regulation of therapeutic goods in Australia and ensure their quality, safety and efficacy).

Justice for Asylum Seekers (JAS) is a non-incorporated alliance of community organisations founded in 1999 to work for just treatment of people seeking asylum. It is based in Victoria, meets monthly and has three working groups: 1. Campaign, 2. Detention reform and 3. Lobbying.

Although it is not possible to precisely specify all the circumstance that lead people to arrive in Australia through people smuggling routes, there can be no doubt that they undertake perilous journeys which put their lives and that of accompanying family members at risk. Given the very high rates of approval for those who have sought asylum in Australia through these routes, it is reasonable to assume that most detainees have fled their countries for reasons of persecution.

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.

10th April, 2002 Chatswood IEC has students from between 15 to 25 language groups at any one time. We have only a small number of children from detention centres, possibly because of our relatively privileged socio-economic intake area. However, all staff members have observed a clear difference between the behaviour, performance and general well being of ex detention centre children and all our other students. It should be noted that this difference remains clear between ex detention centre children and children from the same part of the world who have not been in detention.

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’.