Detention centres like ‘funeral homes’
AUSTRALIA must close its remote immigration detention centres, which long-time detainees liken to funeral homes where they expect to die, Amnesty International says.
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mandatory detention
The following articles have the tag mandatory detention
Mental decline of asylum seekers needs ‘radical rethink’
A SENIOR psychiatric adviser to the immigration department has called for a radical rethink of mandatory detention for asylum seekers due to serious concerns over the mental health effects. Professor Louise Newman, director of the Centre for Developmental Psychiatry and Psychology at Monash University, chairs the Detention Health Advisory Group that briefs the immigration department about mental health issues within the detention system. Professor Newman says there is a mental health crisis within the detention network with daily self-harm attempts by detainees and five deaths since September 2010. ...
Child detainee’s attempted suicide not isolated, doctor says
A DARWIN doctor has told a parliamentary inquiry that a nine-year-old child in immigration detention tried to commit suicide. Dr Peter Morris, from the Northern Territory branch of the AMA, told the inquiry into Australia's detention network he was aware of the case, which occurred in May. Dr Morris, who works at the Royal Darwin Hospital, later told AAP that it was not an isolated incident with other children from the centre having also been treated, some for self-harm. According to Dr Morris there were about two adults turning up ...
Hambleton refuses to back down in asylum stoush
The health effects of mandatory detention on asylum seekers will continue to be an issue for doctors, despite politicians from both major parties telling the AMA to butt out yesterday. Liberal MP Don Randall and Labor MP Graham Perrett both criticised comments made by president, Dr Steve Hambleton, during an AMA parliamentary dinner on Wednesday night. “The AMA believes that the system of mandatory detention of asylum seekers is inherently harmful to the physical and mental health of detainees,” Dr Hambleton told the dinner. “The harm is especially acute in the case of children. “Despite improvements ...