World Bulletin / News Desk
Australia’s Human Rights Commission president Gillian Triggs has announced that it will begin an investigation into the detention of child immigrants in the country.
There are currently around 1,000 children being held in detention centers in Australia, with around 100 of them in a center on the off-shore island of Nauru, which was condemned by the UN for its poor conditions.
"These are children that, among other things, have been denied freedom of movement, many of whom are spending important developmental years of their lives living behind wire in highly stressful environments," the AHRC chief told the BBC.
Many are concerned over the poor conditions and treatment of child detainees, who are reportedly showing signs of mental trauma and anxiety, some of whom are held for months if not years.
"We are concerned that when the time moves beyond three to four months - to six, to 12, to 15 months - the likelihood is that we will be finding that there are breaches of international law," Triggs warned.
Once migrants arrived in Australia, they are held in mandatory detention until their identity and health condition is checked.
2012 and 2013 saw a sharp rise in migrants turning up to Australia’s shores seeking asylum. Australia has been accused of turning many of them away to Indonesia
Last Mod: 03 Şubat 2014, 14:34
