Children in detention centres

The Daily Telegraph - 12 Feb 2002

Dear Sir/Madam

Lucy Clark's opinion piece "When we do nothing about child abuse" (The Daily Telegraph, 8 February 2002) raises important issues that require further explanation.

The Department takes very seriously its obligations under the convention on the rights of the child to protect children in detention.

It makes every effort to prevent undesirable actions occurring and to ensure that children are not exposed to them.

Departmental and ACM officers, including those with relevant expertise, constantly monitor detainee children.

The Department is committed to ensuring that children held in immigration detention receive appropriate care. The Department insists the detention services provider offers appropriate facilities and services to meet the special needs of children and every effort is made to ensure detention of children is a last resort and for the shortest possible period.

Procedures are in place to ensure that State agencies can be called upon to provide expert advice on matters including the psychological health and the best interests of a child.

During the recent Woomera situation, for example, South Australian Family and Youth Services were monitoring the children closely.

Indeed, on their advice 14 of the unaccompanied minors, including all those 14 years and under, were moved to an alternative place of detention under the care of the South Australian Department of Human Services.

The Department is also in the process of evaluating the trial of alternative detention for women and children in Woomera, including whether it can be replicated elsewhere in Australia.

Yours sincerely

Stewart Foster
Director, Public Affairs
Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs