Immigration detention forcing children to despair

Reports of children committing self-harm and attempting suicide in Australia’s immigration network are terribly disappointing, but not surprising, the Australian Greens said today.

“It is tragic that there is such cruelty in our immigration network that children are being driven to self-harm and attempted suicide,” the Greens’ immigration spokesperson, Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said today.

“No child should be held in detention.

“The Greens actually listen to the experts when they say that children should not be locked up.

“We need to see a system put in place that will provide proper guardianship for unaccompanied children because it is obvious the Minister has forsaken these kids despite being their legal guardian.

“The AMA has referred to locking kids up in detention centres as child abuse and the Australian Government has to stop this dreadful practice.”

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