Amnesty International Australia welcomes the Immigration Minister's announcement that all remaining children will be released from Australian immigration detention centres as of today. Getting children and their families on the right side of the razor wire represents a major milestone for achieving a more humane refugee policy.

"Amnesty International Australia welcomes the release of these families from immigration detention centres. The move indicates practical government recognition of the principle of international law that children should only be detained as a measure of last resort," Amnesty International Australia said today.

Amnesty International Australia and other agencies have long expressed concern about the impact of detention on the development of children, both in the short and long term.

In April 2004, The Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission (HREOC) released its report, A Last Resort? National Inquiry into Children in Immigration Detention which exposed the harsh impact of detention on children and their families. The HREOC report found that children held in immigration detention for prolonged periods are at high risk of mental harm. It detailed numerous case studies including the case of a 13-year-old boy who, in a seven month period during his detention, tried to hang himself twice and engaged in acts of self-harm on eight occasions.

While welcoming today's developments, Amnesty International Australia noted that much remains to be done to ensure that Australia's immigration detention policy is consistent with the government's international human rights obligations.

Amnesty International Australia remains concerned that the release of children and families is at the discretion of the Minister. The use of this discretion is not prescribed in law, cannot be appealed and is not subject to review. The decision to detain a person may not be revisited for up to 2 years.

Amnesty International Australia calls on the government to take further steps to ensure that Australia's immigration detention policy is in line with international law, including by ending the potentially indefinite detention of asylum seekers (which is still permissible under Australian law), and by ensuring that all asylum seekers who are recognised as refugees receive permanent protection. Complementary protection should be adopted in legislation as a durable solution for those who remain stateless or unable to return to their county of origin.

For comment or to arrange interviews please call Amnesty International Australia Media Coordinator, Deb Shaw, on 02 9217 7620 or 0422 869 439.