As the Australian government keeps children and their families locked up indefinitely in onshore and offshore detention centres, health care professionals are deeply concerned by the severe physical, mental, emotional and social disturbances they are repeatedly observing in these children. These vulnerable children have no idea when they will be freed. The right-of-centre government can set these children free to grow and flourish. But they won’t, unless ordinary people put the pressure on.
There are daily deeply concerning reports of children suffering with severe physical, mental, emotional and social disturbances as a result of being locked up in detention.
Every day these children are locked up is another day of harm.
Just in the last few days thousands of people have been rallying in the streets and doctors and nurses are refusing to send refugee children back to detention.
The movement calling for change is growing stronger.
Turnbull, recently lifted into the top job by an inner-party coup, has vowed to continue the hardline refugee polices of his predecessor, Tony Abbott.