Parliament shadowed by the silhouettes of 231 children in Australian detention centres

Silhouettes of 231 children shadowed Parliament House lawns in Canberra this morning as a symbolic representation of the children still held in Australia’s detention centres.

The moving action was part of a petition delivery from NGOs demanding all children be released from Australian detention centres.

Images from the event can be downloaded here: http://pigeon.to/1IeC4hP

Former child detainee Bashir Yousufi described his time in detention on Christmas Island as a robbed childhood.

“There is no excuse, no justification and no rationalisation for holding children in offshore detention where their childhoods are stolen from them,” he said.

Bashir was joined by representatives from GetUp, Greens Senator for South Australia Sarah Hanson Young, Andrew Wilkie Independent MP for Denison, Anna Burke Federal Member for Chisolm and Melissa Parkes Labor MP for Fremantle.

Asylum Seeker Resource Centre, Save the Children, Amnesty International Australia, ChilOut, Human Rights Law Centre, Welcome to Australia and Children’s Rights have also driven the petition campaign.

GetUp Campaigns Chief Erin McCallum said: “These are the children Australia has forgotten. Two hundred and thirty one children are being robbed of their right to a childhood free from the risk of emotional, physical and sexual abuse. It’s our responsibility to speak up and stand up for these children.”

Asylum Seeker Resource Centre Director of Advocacy and Campaigns Serina McDuff said, “Children are being held in detention for up to five years, yet every day they spend locked up means more harm done.  We’ve seen first-hand the tragic consequences of this mental and emotional damage, which manifests as bed wetting, anxiety, nightmares, insomnia, fear, anger and self-harm. Childhood is precious. We should do everything in our power to ensure every child has the freedom to grow and develop and learn – not lock them away to suffer.”

Save the Children’s Campaigns Manager Tim Norton said, “We know from our unique experience providing support to children on Nauru that immigration detention is harmful to their mental and physical wellbeing, and the only way to guarantee their rights is for the Australian government to immediately end the practice of mandatory and prolonged detention.”

“The culture of secrecy surrounding our immigration system is at the heart of its problems. Australia cannot close its eyes to acts done in its name, so it is vital that our immigration system is transparent and accountable to the Australian people,” said Mr Norton.

Amnesty International Australia Refugee Campaign Coordinator Graeme McGregor said, “We know now that detention centres expose children to violence, sexual abuse and neglect. When even the Department of Immigration admits that detention harms children and does nothing to stop deaths at sea, you know it's time for kids in detention to be free.”

ChilOut’s Campaign Coordinator Claire Hammerton said, “Australian Governments, both past and present, have systematically ignored the rights of children seeking asylum for over a decade. The harm that immigration detention causes to children is now irrefutable. It is a stain on our standing as a nation that the inhumane treatment of children continues. This must end now.”
 

Human Rights Law Centre Director of Legal Advocacy Daniel Webb said, “It’s time to start putting the safety, wellbeing and basic rights of children first. Given the serious harm we know it causes, it is simply inexcusable to keep detaining children indefinitely and to continue to ship them off to Nauru. No child should ever be punished for seeking Australia’s protection.”

Welcome to Australia National Director Brad Chilcott said, “We celebrate every time a child is released from detention. An even greater celebration will be when Australia’s leaders no longer measure strength by the ability to ignore the damage being done to children.”