The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) has joined Australia’s peak health professional bodies to call on the Federal Government to immediately release all children and their families from immigration detention in Australia and Nauru.
RACGP President Dr Frank R Jones said GPs had joined with other health organisations - including the Royal Australian College of Physicians and the Australian Medical Association – because of the health effects of detaining asylum seeker children.
“The RACGP has long called for an end to mandatory restrictive detention on humanitarian grounds and we are proud to stand united with other peak health bodies to emphasise the need for action,” Dr Jones said.
“GPs working in the community are dealing with the ongoing health effects of detention on a daily basis and are particularly concerned for children who will carry this impact throughout their lives.”
In February the RACGP repeated its call for an end to mandatory detention for asylum seekers, following the Australian Human Rights Commission’s The Forgotten Children report which found detention caused and compounded mental health disorders amongst children and recommended all children and their families be released into the community or community detention.
“A month on from the release of this report the RACGP is reiterating its calls to release children from detention as soon as possible on humanitarian grounds,” Dr Jones said.
“Along with other peak health bodies, the RACGP is also calling for the appointment of an independent panel of health professionals to provide advice and oversight of health and healthcare in detention facilities on and off shore, with agreement for the panel to consult with health professionals.”
The RACGP is the peak professional body for general practice in Australia representing more than 29,000 members working in or towards a career in general practice.