Immigration Minister Chris Bowen says the nine-year-old boy orphaned in the Christmas Island shipwreck will be released from detention next week and will be able to live in a house in Sydney.
The boy, Seena, was flown to Sydney for his relatives' funerals on Tuesday, but is being returned to Christmas Island despite many public calls from him to stay in NSW with his extended family.
Mr Bowen says the boy and the relatives who had been caring for him on Christmas Island will be released together next week.
The Minister told Channel Ten that he hoped to finalise the paperwork tomorrow.
"He and family who've been looking after him on Christmas Island can be released into the community, as I've been working on for several days," Mr Bowen said.
"Released to a home in Sydney, and that's the other thing - we had to find a house, accommodation to put him in not too far, hopefully, from his other relatives."
Seena's mother, father and brother all died in the shipwreck tragedy. The distraught boy attended his father's funeral this week, but the bodies of his mother and brother have never been found.
Mr Bowen defended his decision to send the boy back to Christmas Island before returning him to Sydney to be released.
"I've said all along that I wanted to see this young boy released into the community as soon as possible," he told ABC 1's 7.30 Report.
"I thought it was important to let him stay with the people who had been looking after him [on Christmas Island] but also move those people into the community.
"Yes that has led to some criticism, but frankly I think it's more important to get it right."
Mr Bowen says two other children on the island who are also survivors of the shipwreck have not received nearly as much media attention but he is equally concerned about them.
He says their papers have also been fast-tracked and they will be released also.
Meanwhile, the Immigration Department has confirmed the plane returning the asylum seekers to Christmas Island has been diverted due to bad weather.
It is understood the group, including Seena, are being diverted to Derby in the Kimberley.
They will be accommodated in the area overnight before being flown to Christmas Island tomorrow if the weather improves.
Under pressure
A lawyer representing the boy's family, Stephen Blanks, says lodging a complaint in the Human Rights Commission appears to have had an influence on Mr Bowen's decision.
He told ABC News 24's The Drum that he met Seena's relatives in Sydney today.
"They want Seena to be released from detention - they are very willing, very keen to look after him," Mr Blanks said.
"They spent yesterday at Villawood [detention centre] and their children played with Seena.
"The family have a very strong connection with him and his family group. They are very keen to be in a position to look after him."
Mr Blanks says Seena's relatives say he is very traumatised by his experience.
"They say it is clear that he needs a psychiatric assessment and psychiatric care," he said.
He says even though Seena will be released next week he will not withdraw proceedings in the the Human Rights Commission.
"Questions need to be asked about how this case has been handled," he said.
"There are broader issues here which need to be looked at.
"We have to put human rights further up in the agenda in the way these cases are handled."
0 comments:
Post a Comment