#LOSTCHILDREN CAMPAIGN

Every kid deserves a childhood

THE AIM

For all children detained on Nauru to be released into an environment that protects and upholds their rights.

THE PROBLEM

107 children are still detained by Australia on Nauru.

68 children remain detained in Australia, awaiting return to Nauru.

THE PROBLEM

Amnesty has been denied access to the detention centre three times.

Inquiries about sexual assault allegations were not answered.

THE PROBLEM

THE PROBLEM

“Sometimes because of the smell, our camp it’s like a sewer… Around the toilets are mountain of toilet paper and pee and poo and water up to your ankle.”

Child, Nauru detention centre

THE PROBLEM

When children are held in detention for more than two years they display a ten-fold increase in psychiatric disorders.

The Forgotten Children Report, Australian Human Rights Commission (2015)

THE PROBLEM

“There is a reasonably solid literature base, which we’re not contesting at all, which associates length of detention with a whole range of adverse health conditions.”

- The Secretary of the Department of Immigration and Border Protection

THE SOLUTION

In December 2014, the Australian government agreed to release all children from detention in Australia and admitted that detaining children is not an effective deterrent to asylum seekers arriving by boat.

THE SOLUTION

They did not release the children on Nauru.

But we can make sure they do.

WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN?

We need to increase awareness of the issue.

We need to work with a wider range of partners.

We need to take advantage of information coming out of Nauru.

WWW.AMNESTY.ORG.AU/EVENT/LOST-CHILDREN

TAKE ACTION

Share a happy childhood memoryonline, using the hashtag#LostChildren and/or

#ShareAMemoryalong with the link towww.amnesty.org.au/event/

lostchildren

PURSUING PARTNERSHIPS

Medical bodies Legal bodies Children’s organisations Public figures Refugee sector Parenting websites

REFUGEE WEEK 2015