Chilout media releases
16 December 2011 Minister punishes children with detention
After a story broke of eight children being taken from the community into locked, adult detention centres and one child attempting suicide; the Minister's office blames the children. "The Minister for Immigration is not a suitable guardian for these children" Sophie Peer, ChilOut
16 December 2011 Ten Thousand Dollars of Hope
ChilOut’s appeal is on track to raise enough money to send a gift to every unaccompanied child in detention. “Today we exceeded $10,000 and thank our generous supporters who have made this possible” states ChilOut Chair, Kate Gauthier. "The money raised shows that people are voting with their wallets - many caring Australians do not want to see kids locked up in immigration detention."
24 October 2011 More evidence - children do not belong in detention
"As Four Corners showed us, children are locked up behind fences, they cannot go out. The Australian Medical Association recognises the current system of detention to be child abuse" ChilOut's Chair, Kate Gauthier
Read full release here.
"As Four Corners showed us, children are locked up behind fences, they cannot go out. The Australian Medical Association recognises the current system of detention to be child abuse" ChilOut's Chair, Kate Gauthier
Read full release here.
23 June 2011 Judi Moylan MP launches ChilOut report: No Place for Children
ChilOut visited Christmas Island in April 2011, and has grave concerns about a variety of risks that children in detention are exposed to there. The report documents that Australia's system of mandatory detention regime imprisons children as a first resort and for indefinite periods of time. It contravenes international law and common sense morality. Children should not be locked up. Ultimately the government must recognise this and legislate to prevent the implementation of policies that breach Australia's legal and moral obligations.
Read full release here
3 June 2011 Children sent back to Malaysia
ChilOut visited Christmas Island in April 2011, and has grave concerns about a variety of risks that children in detention are exposed to there. The report documents that Australia's system of mandatory detention regime imprisons children as a first resort and for indefinite periods of time. It contravenes international law and common sense morality. Children should not be locked up. Ultimately the government must recognise this and legislate to prevent the implementation of policies that breach Australia's legal and moral obligations.
Read full release here
3 June 2011 Children sent back to Malaysia
Malaysia has declared that asylum seekers sent by Australia under any deal will not be covered by the Refugee Convention. The Government has been put on notice that abuses will occur, yet they insist on deporting vulnerable lone or orphaned children back to Malaysia. The Government says that children must be released from detention here in Australia, because it is harmful to them on so many levels, but now they are happy to send kids to Malaysia, where we know that children have been sentenced to whipping for immigration offences. How on earth can the Minister, himself a father, live with that on his hands?
17 Feb 2011 ChilOut calls for orphan asylum seeker to be released
ChilOut calls on the government to immediately release Seena, the eight-year-old boy orphaned in the Christmas Island asylum boat sinking. It is appalling that psychiatrists are forced to get an injunction to save this child from being sent back to detention, when it would be so easy for the Minister to ensure that he gets the support and counselling he needs in Australia. This once again shows the conflict of interest in the Minister being the guardian of unaccompanied minors in detention. How could any proper guardian do this to an orphan?
11 Oct 2010 Children must be released from detention
ChilOut says that kids must be released from detention immediately. ChilOut calls on the Minister to come clean to the Australian public about the conditions children are being kept in. "The Minister would have us believe that no kids are in detention simply because they no longer use razor wire. The sad fact is, over 650 children are being detained right now, most of them in remote centres without adequate education, counselling or community support." Alanna Hector, spokesperson for ChilOut said.