Handout for hearing: National Inquiry into Children in Immigration Detention 2014

Asylum Seekers and Refugees

Key Statistics:

983 children in immigration detention: 775 children are held in locked immigration detention facilities in Australian territories and 208 children are held in detention in Nauru (as at 31 May 2014)
304 children are detained on Christmas Island as at 31 March 2014 and are subject to offshore transfer to Nauru as prescribed by Australian Government policy
54 unaccompanied children are held in immigration detention facilities in Australia (as at 31 March 2014)
128 babies were born in immigration detention facilities in Australia in the period 1 January 2013 to 31 March 2014

321 children had been held in an immigration detention facility in Australia for more than 6 months (as at January 2014)
38 children had been held in an immigration detention facility in Australia for more than one year (as at January 2014)
The average length of time that a child spent in an immigration detention facility in Australia as at 31 March 2014 was 231 days

There were 128 reported actual self-harm incidents amongst children in closed immigration detention facilities in Australia from January 2013 to March 2014

There are 518 children of compulsory school age (5 to 17 years) in immigration detention in Australia. 338 children attend an external school at 31 March 2014.
School education on Christmas Island is limited to a maximum of 2 weeks per child. The average length of time that children have been detained on Christmas Island is 221.5 days. There were 160 school aged children as at 31 March 2014.

Visits to 9 immigration detention facilities
Inquiry staff conducted 486 interviews with families or unaccompanied children currently in immigration detention in Australia. Approximately 1,500 individuals.
38 interviews with asylum seekers who were previously in immigration detention as children or as parents have been completed
A public hearing was held in Sydney on 4 April, at which 14 witnesses gave evidence (transcripts availableat: http://www.humanrights.gov.au/transcripts-inquirys-public-hearings)
Inquiry has received over 200 submissions. Public submissions to the inquiry are being progressively published, and are available at: http://www.humanrights.gov.au/our-work/asylum-seekers-and-refugees/national-inquiry-children-immigration-detention-2014-0

FOR MEDIA ENQUIRIES CONTACT: SARAH BAMFORD - 0417 957 525 Sarah.Bamford@humanrights.gov.au