Only 15 schooldays left for detention kids

By Pamela Curr

After 18 December the children in detention are stuck behind the fences and locked gates until next year. Unless Prime Minister Turnbull frees the children.

There are only 15 school days left where they get to leave the camp each day for 8 hours of normal life in school.
Already the older kids are talking about the holidays with dread. Nothing to do just watching everyone going mad and getting sick.
Waiting for guards to bang on their doors and search their rooms, upsetting the family and throwing things everywhere.
Listening at 11pm and 5am as they shout out “how many?’ If no answer they are in the room, lights on, demanding answers.

Since Border Force took over children are not allowed out with us, so no more picnics in parks, trips to adventure playgrounds, Collingwood Childrens Farm, the Zoo, home visits, shopping, eating in Sydney road cafes, icecreams in Carlton- just having fun being out of detention, remembering what it is like to be free. For three years we have taken people out of detention for the day without escorts. First it was the teenagers with family, then the the single men, then the families. No one ran away or came to harm. Everyone had a smile on their faces for a few hours in a day. Now it is over. No outings, no sewing machines for mothers, no distraction from living in a militarised camp with 4.5 metrs fences and constant searches of rooms, bodies, bags, no privacy.

Home for Children in Melbourne Detention Camp at the MITA:

The past two holidays our requests to take children and families out on excursions were refused on the grounds that it was not necessary. Serco would provide excursions.
Well we have seen the reality of these. Some children selected for short prescribed outings alone, never with friends. The excursions are secret high security events with no one allowed to talk to public. I remember asking why they did not take the children to local playgrounds in the afternoon and was told that these were assessed as “high risk” so not suitable for kids in detention. Instead they are taken on bus journeys. anyone who knows what children enjoy knows that activity is more fun than sitting in a van. Some children did not go out at all. As for the daytime activities- some happened and some did not, not much fun, but all were written up on a board to show what a lovely place detention is for kids

Please CALL THE PRIME MINISTERS OFFICE and ASK – FREE THE CHILDREN BEFORE CHRISTMAS

Top photo by Daniel Wilkins Source: Sunday Herald Sun