Fed: Refugee advocates urge Vanstone to stop detaining kids

AAP General News (Australia)
04-29-2004
Fed: Refugee advocates urge Vanstone to stop detaining kids

A refugee advocacy group has urged Immigration Minister AMANDA VANSTONE to scrap the
government's policy of keeping children in immigration detention.

It follows a decision by the High Court to overrule a decision by the Family Court
to allow the release of five children from an immigration detention centre.

The High Court found the Family Court did not have the jurisdiction to free the children.

The children were released from South Australia's Baxter detention centre in August
last year and are now living in Adelaide.

GREG BARNS, from the group A Just Australia, says the decision is unfortunate.

He says the children in question have suffered enough as a result of government policy,
and it would be grossly inhumane to return them to detention.

AAP RTV sm/wf/rp

KEYWORD: DETENTION ADVOCATES (CANBERRA) WITH AUDIO

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