Report exposes risks of mandatory detention

Published on Wednesday, 26 October 2011

CRA’s Justice Network supports a new report which urges Australians to consider the long-term consequences of asylum policies in our country.

The report by the Yarra Institute for Religion and Social Policy was part-funded by Good Shepherd Australia New Zealand.

The report is part of a project funded by Good Shepherd Australia New Zealand, through the Yarra Institute for Religion and Social Policy to assist the processing and settlement of asylum seekers.

Dr Bruce Duncan, Director of the Yarra Institute is a Redemptorist priest.   Michaela Guthridge, Justice Development Manager at Good Shepherd Australia New Zealand is a member of CRA’s Justice Network Reference Group.

Entitled Long-term health costs of extended mandatory detention of asylum seekers, the report was launched on 12 October at St Brigid’s Church, North Fitzroy, by Reverend Alistair Macrae, President of the National Assembly of the Uniting Church of Australia.

As the title suggests, the report estimates the long-term health costs of extended mandatory detention of asylum seekers.

Author Dr Tony Ward explained that for the first time in Australia, this was done by applying innovative costing approaches developed in The Netherlands.

The findings shows that detained refugees will have lifetime mental health costs, around $25,000 per person, which is 50 per cent more than the average.

Michael Yore of Good Shepherd Australia New Zealand said one of the disturbing findings was that being in detention for more than two years resulted in 10 times the rate of mental health problems for those detained for less than three months.

“We are gravely concerned about the long-term health and economic costs of mandatory detention and we call on the Australian Government to reconsider its policy.”

Speaking at the launch, Reverend Alistair Macrae, said that all the mainstream churches were united in their opposition to the current policies of mandatory detention in remote camps.

“Australia was the only developed country to treat asylum seekers so harshly,” he said.

Reverend Macrae urged church and community groups to continue efforts to mobilise public opinion against such cruel and unnecessary policies.

Click here to read Dr Ward’s report.

Related media:  Watch the Four Corners program, Asylum, which was first screened on ABC 1 on Monday, 24 October 2011.  You can watch the program online or catch it on ABC News 24 at 2pm on Saturday, 29 October.

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