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Australia softens child refugee policy

Australian Press ( AP ), 06 June 2011

Canberra - Australia's government said on Monday that it has softened its policy on sending unaccompanied child asylum seekers to Malaysia after scathing criticism from UN agencies and human rights advocates.

All children will be considered on a case-by-case basis under a refugee swap being negotiated with Malaysia to deter future asylum seekers from travelling to Australia by boat, Immigration Minister Chris Bowen told Australian Broadcasting Corporation radio.

"We'll have appropriate measures in place on an individual basis to deal with what are a relatively small number of cases of unaccompanied minors," Bowen said of the government's decision over the weekend to change its stance.

The government had argued last week against any exceptions being made for children who come by boat to Australia without a parent or guardian. Senior minister Tony Burke warned that such special treatment would lead to people smugglers shipping boatloads of children without adults on the perilous journey to Australia. Read More…

Australia will send children to Malaysia in asylum deal

BBC - 04 June 2011

The authorities in Australia have announced plans to send unaccompanied children seeking asylum to Malaysia.

They would be held in detention centres while their cases are processed.

Australia's immigration minister, Chris Bowen, said it would send a strong message to deter people-smugglers selling passage to asylum seekers.

The move is part of a controversial swap being negotiated with Malaysia under which some Malaysia-based refugees would be settled in Australia. Read More…

Taskforce to probe sex offender bungle

ABC News, Wed Feb 9, 2011

The Victorian Government has assembled a ministerial taskforce to investigate failings in the sex offenders registration scheme.

The Ombudsman savaged government agencies for putting the rights of sex offenders above those of vulnerable children.

Its damning report to Parliament found more than 700 children spent unsupervised time with 376 registered sex offenders over the past six years because of bungling by government agencies.

Under Victorian law, registered sex offenders must tell police when they have had unsupervised contact with a child and when there are changes to their living arrangements that involve children. Read More…