In a major policy shift, the Federal Government is preparing to announce plans to release hundreds of asylum seekers from detention and allow them to live in the community while their applications for asylum are being assessed.
The West Australian newspaper is today reporting that under the new plan, asylum seekers who are not considered a security risk will be eligible for release, with priority given to families with children.
It means hundreds of asylum seekers, including about 700 children, who are currently in detention centres are likely to be released.
Greens Senator for South Australia Sarah Hanson-Young has been working with the Federal Government to bring about this major policy change.
Senator Hanson-Young has held talks with Immigration Minister Chris Bowen, who she says is moving quickly on the issue. She says a deal to release the detainees is close.
"It's not a done deal yet but it is definitely a very, very important acknowledgement from this Government," she told Saturday AM.
"I spoke with the Minister about this in his first week and stressed that we can't keep going down this awful, awful path back to the days under the John Howard government when we had young people sewing their lips together, young children swallowing bottles of shampoo all because of the dreadful impact that immigration detention was having on their mental health."
She says there are 742 children currently in immigration detention, a figure that includes children who have come with their family and children who are unaccompanied.
Senator Hanson-Young says issues of employment and education are still yet to be worked out.
"Children who are of school age will need to be going to school. That's one of the things that I'm quite strong on," she said.
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