Revd John Henderson, the new General Secretary of the National Council of Churches in Australia (NCCA), has repeated the call for the release of children in detention and reiterated the need for a royal commission into Australia’s system of mandatory detention.
“Through signing the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), Australia is committed to acting in the best interests of every child. Why, then, do we create a situation where children are exposed to violence, heated protests and threats of suicide, and expose them to an atmosphere of despair, and the dehumanising effect of being treated as illegal?”
“Current detention practice takes away parents’ ability to protect their children from unnecessary violence and fear.
“Australians have been expressing concern about the detention of children for some time. While we do not encourage the practice of people smuggling, God calls us to show compassion to those who are suffering. What problems are we now creating for these children and for the community in general?
“Is the pain inflicted upon these children a just trade-off in deterring people from our shores?”
In Australia, all unauthorised asylum seekers, including children, are subject to indefinite, non-reviewable mandatory detention. The NCCA believes this practice breaches Article 37 of the CRC that the detention of a child shall be used only as a measure of last resort and for the shortest period of time.
Children can apply to be released from detention on bridging visas, but are rarely released in practice as there is no provision for the release of their parents and it is usually not considered in the best interests of the child to be separated. This system keeps children in detention and has been criticised by the NCCA.
Revd Henderson also asked Australian Christians to pray for these children and their families, who are caught up in circumstances beyond their control. He said we also need to pray for our government and decision makers, as well as the staff of the centres where asylum seekers are held.
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FOR COMMENT:
The Revd John Henderson, General Secretary, Tel: (02) 9299 2215
