Login
LCA applauds efforts to remove sick asylum seekers from Nauru
The Law Council of Australia has backed parliamentary efforts to remove mentally and physically ill children and adult asylum seekers from Nauru.
Emma Musgrave
The legal body said it supports efforts made by parliamentarians to address alarming mental and physical health of children and adult asylum seekers held in offshore detention.
“With respect to children, one child on Nauru is one too many. Australia is internationally committed to the principle of acting in the best of the child as a primary consideration,” LCA president Morry Bailes said.
“Removing all remaining asylum seeker children on Nauru to Australia for medical and psychiatric treatment is not just medically necessary, but necessary if Australia is to abide by our international obligations.
“Australia also has obligations to ensure the health and safety of adult asylum seekers in regional processing centres. This includes appropriate access to key health services and acting to address the risks of suicide and self-harm by detained asylum seekers.
“The abundant evidence regarding the health and wellbeing of many adult asylum seekers is grim. It is essential that Australia acts with respect to adult asylum seekers.”
Further, Mr Bailes noted that LCA supports ensuring that asylum seeker families are “kept together under temporary transfer arrangements, given Australia’s family reunification obligations”.
“For children and families, this measure will minimise the risk of further dislocation and trauma,” he said.
“Transfers being proposed are temporary, so key questions remain about the longer-term situation of these asylum seekers.
“The Law Council would urge the Australian Government to develop a long term, durable response to irregular migration and solutions for all refugees and asylum seekers who are currently in offshore detention conditions.
“This new response should accord with Australia’s international obligations.”
Emma Musgrave
Emma Musgrave (née Ryan) is the managing editor, professional services at Momentum Media.
Emma has worked for Momentum Media since 2015, including five years spent as the editor of the company's legal brand - Lawyers Weekly. Throughout her time at Momentum, she has been responsible for breaking some of the biggest stories in corporate Australia. In addition, she has produced exclusive multimedia and event content related to the company's respective brands and audiences.
Prior to joining Momentum Media, Emma worked in breakfast radio, delivering news to the Central West region of NSW, before taking on a radio journalist role at Southern Cross Austereo, based in Townsville, North Queensland.
She holds a Bachelor of Communications (Journalism) degree from Charles Sturt University.
Email Emma on:
