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Health of children who experienced Australian immigration detention

Shidan Tosif1,2,3, Hamish Graham1,2,3, Karen Kiang1

  • 1Department of General Medicine, Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.

Plos One
|March 9, 2023
PubMed

Insights

Australian immigration detention significantly harmed children's physical and mental health. Locked detention led to developmental issues, nutritional deficiencies, and widespread mental health concerns for children and their families.

Area of Science:

  • Public Health
  • Pediatrics
  • Immigration Studies

Background:

  • Australian immigration policies led to prolonged detention of children.
  • Children and families experienced locked immigration detention, raising health concerns.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To examine the physical and mental health outcomes of children and families exposed to immigration detention.
  • To provide clinical evidence on the adverse impacts of detention on child wellbeing.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective audit of medical records from January 2012 to December 2021.
  • Data extracted on demographics, detention details, symptoms, and health diagnoses for 277 children.

Main Results:

  • 60% of children had nutritional deficiencies; 75% had developmental concerns (including autism and intellectual disability).
  • 62% of children and 54% of parents experienced mental health issues, with higher prevalence in offshore detention (Nauru/Manus Island).
  • Detention duration was significantly longer for children held offshore (median 51 months) compared to those in Australia (median 7 months).

Conclusions:

  • Immigration detention adversely impacts children's physical and mental health.
  • Policymakers should prioritize avoiding child and family detention due to severe consequences.
Abstract

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