news feature
Let the children come
CAN POLITICAL EXPEDIENCY OVERRIDE COMPASSION
MOST members of the Filipino
community in Sydney led by Serna Ladia,
president of the Philippine Community
Council of NSW, have appealed to the
Federal Government for compassion
towards children in detention at Nauru
and to welcome them to Australia.
Many children have lived in Nauru for
more than five years and suffering.
“Children should never be subjected
to living in detention centres,” Ms Serna
said.
“Children should never have to be
separated from their parents and
family. Children need to be free, to be
celebrating Christmas and opening their
presents in a safe environment, not in a
detention centre.”
The chairwoman of the Federation
of Community Councils of Australia
(FECCA), Mary Patetsos, echoed Ms
www.kalatas.com.au
SERNA LADIA, pictured above left, takes aim at the issue of children in detention in Nauru, PNG. At right is a poster on the issue.
Ladia’s call. “The lengthy detention of
these children, in many cases for their
entire childhood, has amounted to
mistreatment,” Ms Patetsos said.
“Australians are better than this.”
Human rights lawyer George Newhouse
said his organization, the National
Justice Project, had taken court action to
bring around 50 children to Australia for
medical treatment.
They included children who have been
taken directly from the airport to intensive
care units because their organs were
failing.
"It's taken court hearings and a
groundswell from the community to get
the government to act to get these kids
off Nauru," Newhouse said.
AK NewsMagazine, Vol 9 No 2
1 | November
OCTOBER 2018
2018
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