mental illness Archives - Refugee Advocacy Network

Hanson-Young among thousands rallying around Australia this weekend* urging fairer go for refugees

June 16, 2012

Australians will attend rallies across the country today and tomorrow for World Refugee Day (officially June 20) in support of a fairer go for refugees. “The Australian Greens are working to put time limits on detention into legislation, because we know the current system is causing easily preventable mental and physical damage to already fragile people,” Greens’ immigration spokesperson, Sen. Sarah Hanson-Young, said. “We’ve legislation before parliament which sets time limits – as recommended by the recent parliamentary inquiry into…

New ‘asylum seeker syndrome’ is avoidable with time limits on detention: Greens

May 23, 2012

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Archived Press Releases

A new psychological condition diagnosed among asylum seekers held in indefinite detention is further evidence of the need to put time-limits on detention and close remote and isolated detention centres, the Australian Greens said today. “The discovery of this new mental illness syndrome is nothing for Australia to be proud of,” Greens’ immigration spokesperson, Sen. Sarah Hanson-Young, said. “It is saddening to learn that this new condition is being created because of the long-term and indefinite detention of vulnerable people…

Immigration Dept’s budget blow out was avoidable with time limits and more community release places: Greens

May 9, 2012

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Archived Press Releases

The blow out of more than $1 billion dollars in the Immigration Department’s budget was avoidable had the government finally put time limits on detention and increased community release places, the Australian Greens said today. “The annual average cost of a community release programme is $10,400 per person, compared to more than $137,000 if an asylum seeker is kept indefinitely in a detention centre,” Greens’ immigration spokesperson, Sen. Sarah Hanson-Young, said. “Detention centre operating costs are of course higher for…

Reduce Immigration Dept’s slice of budget spending with detention time limits and more community release places: Greens

May 6, 2012

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Archived Press Releases

The government can trim the Immigration Department’s budget from blowing out in the vicinity of $3 billion this Tuesday by putting time limits on detention and funding more community release places for asylum seekers, the Australian Greens say. “It’s 90 percent cheaper and 100 percent fairer for asylum seekers to live in the community once health and security checks prove it’s safe than warehousing them in detention centres,” Greens’ immigration spokesperson, Sarah Hanson-Young, said today. “Given community release schemes cost…

Greens urge Bowen to relinquish guardianship of unaccompanied children and release them into community

April 24, 2012

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Archived Press Releases

The Australian Greens have today urged the Immigration Minister to relinquish his role as the legal guardian of 26 Vietnamese unaccompanied children in detention in Darwin and release them into the community. “The Minister must cease being the legal guardian of all unaccompanied children and be replaced by an independent advocate who can act in their best interests and stand up for their welfare,” Greens’ immigration spokesperson, Sen. Sarah Hanson-Young, said. “This desperate plea in a letter today from a…