Australia’s detention of child asylum seekers has harmed their health

Children confined to Australia’s immigration detention centers over the past decade have higher rates of mental health conditions, developmental concerns and nutritional deficiencies, according to the most comprehensive study on health.

“We want policy makers to be aware that detention is harmful to children and should not be detained under any circumstances,” said Australia’s Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne Immigration Health, which led the study. Service’s Sidan Tosif said.

Australia has a policy of detaining all asylum seekers who arrive without a valid visa while their applications are reviewed. Adults are mainly held in high security immigration centers. Under Australian law, a child should only be housed in these facilities as a last resort and preferably in community her housing with a family member.

But starting in 2012, after a surge in asylum seekers arriving by boat, Australia began holding hundreds of children in detention facilities for long periods, sometimes years. These included children traveling with families and children traveling alone.

Tosif and his colleagues reviewed the medical records of 239 of these children who were referred to the Migrant Health Service at his hospital, which provides medical and mental health care to asylum seekers and refugees. From 2012 to 2021, children attended services either in custody, where they had to be brought in by security guards, or after they were released.

Children come from 15 countries, the most common being Iran. The average length of detention for those detained in mainland Australian institutions was her seven months, while those detained in offshore detention centers on Nauru, Micronesia and Manus Island, Papua New Guinea were her more than four years. rice field.

Overall, 60% of children had nutritional deficiencies such as low iron and vitamin D. None of the children received routine childhood vaccines while in custody. This means that 71% were behind schedule for vaccination. One-fifth also had untreated latent tuberculosis.

Three-quarters of the children had developmental differences such as learning disabilities and autism, and 62% had mental health issues such as anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. This was more than four times her rate of mental disorders in Australian children. Many also experienced nightmares and 10% self-harmed.

This finding is consistent with anecdotal reports from a small number of pediatricians who were granted visits to migrant detention centers in Australia.

For example, David Isaacs of Children’s Hospital in Westmead, Sydney, described a 6-year-old girl who attempted suicide and a 15-year-old boy who self-harmed after visiting a jail on Nauru. 2014.

Elizabeth Elliott and Hasantha Gunasekera also worked at Westmead Children’s Hospital, visited a detention center in Australia’s Northern Territory in 2015, and told the Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) that children held in custody were among the most said it was the most traumatic for him. Talking openly about suicide.

Many of the children were already traumatized before coming to Australia, but being confined to detention due to poor living conditions and restrictions on movement, education and play meant that children It hurt even more, says Tosif. The AHRC described a detained family living in a tall chain-link tent and a child playing with cockroaches due to the lack of toys.

Compounding the problem was the profound uncertainty felt by children and their families. Because they didn’t know how long they would be detained or where they would be taken next, says Tosif.

The number of children held in immigration detention centers in Australia peaked at around 2,000 in July 2013. Since late 2014, the government has gradually moved children out of these centers, with the last two being released in her 2021.

Released children were initially transferred to regional detention centers or given temporary visas, which “continued the uncertainty,” says Tosif. However, some people have been able to apply for a permanent residence visa since February this year.

To prevent children from being detained again for long periods of time, Rebecca Eckerd of the Australian Refugee Council, an independent advocacy group, said the government should ensure that children are placed in detention facilities within 72 hours before being transferred to detention. He said there should be laws that allow them to be detained. community detention. “At the moment, if there are more people arriving by air or sea without visas, there is nothing that this or future governments can stop from holding children for long periods of time,” she says.

A spokesperson for the Australian Department of Home Affairs said: new scientist The Australian government is “committed to keeping children out of immigration detention centers” and has “no tolerance for any form of abuse, neglect, abuse or exploitation involving children”.

Tosif says some children who experience locked custody will have lasting effects on their health. “If they get a permanent visa, it really improves their outlook on life, but after childhood trauma, problems can surface,” he says. “That’s what we monitor.”

Need an ear to hear? UK Samaritan: 116123; U.S. Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1 800 273 8255; hotlines in other countries.

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