Search results

1. The provisions made by Australia to implement its international human rights obligations regarding child asylum seekers, including unaccompanied minors.

Thank you for your letter received on 2 January 2002 in which you enclose a copy of the terms of reference of the Commission's National Inquiry into Children in Immigration Detention.

Australia's Immigration Detention Centres are contradictory to the human rights of the child. The Immigration Detention experience is extremely harmful to children and has effects of traumatisation and re-traumatisation during the Detention experience and continuing after release. Concerning alternatives to Detention, the present options are also not geared towards the best interest of the child.

ChilOut was established in July 2001 by a group of concerned parents and citizens who felt compelled to advocate and act on behalf of children and their parents living in Australia's immigration detention centres (IDC).

Letter to Mr Philip Ruddock MP 31/01/2002 Letter to Mr Philip Ruddock MP 22/02/2002 Letter to Mr Philip Ruddock MP 21/03/2002 Letter to Mr Philip Ruddock MP 03/04/2002 Letter to Mr Philip Ruddock MP 29/04/2002 Letter to Mr Philip Ruddock MP 06/05/2002 Letter to Mr Philip Ruddock MP 09/06/2002

This submission addresses some of the issues and questions raised in the background papers prepared by the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission (HREOC) and in relation to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989) and the Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees (1951) and its 1967 Protocol (the Refugee Convention). The conclusions drawn in this submission arise out of the experiences of staff and members of the Uniting Church in Australia. We do acknowledge that the evidence presented here is therefore anecdotal.

The lack of coherence and logic in decisions as regards detainees ethnicity and the veracity of their stories - primary decision makers failure rate as compared to RRT decisions which saw many boys kept in detention for up to 12 months longer than boys who arrived at the same time from the same area on the same boat - some friends still remain in detention today up to two years later when the boys know they are Hazara with the same history and the same claim to protection - leading to complete distrust in the whole system

This submission has been produced by the Queensland Program of Assistance for Survivors of Torture and Trauma (QPASTT) and the Youth Advocacy Centre (YAC). The submission is also endorsed by a number of individuals and organisations working directly or indirectly with asylum seekers and refugees (See list on page 2). Their staff hear similar stories and reports from their clients and have come to similar or the same conclusions as those in this report.

Human rights define the value and worth of each person and their relationship to society. They identify standards regarding the quality of life that each of us can expect to enjoy.

The United Nations (UN) is an international organisation of 188 member countries (called sovereign states or states parties). The UN was formed after the tragedy of the Second World War to promote international peace, achieve international cooperation for international problems and advance human rights. The UN, together with its programmes, funds and specialised agencies, makes up the UN system.