Kids scooter around behind the high walls of Christmas Island's Phosphate Hill detention center the other day. One paced with hands and wrists slouched in pockets and his awesome baseball cap pulled down, another bounced ping-pong balls frequently on a bat, one more threw a tennis ball in the air.
Who these people were, and exactly how old, has developed into governmental basketball.
With 18 travelers making claims being under 18 years on the initial boat to come since the Malaysia policy came into effect, the government is assaulted by the opposition and UNICEF for mentioning there would be ''no umbrella exemptions'' for those under 18.
That number fell by one not long ago. ''One particular person has now confessed being a grown-up,'' stated an immigration speaker. The Immigration Office would most likely perform ''basic age determination checks'' on the other teenagers, she reported.
Almost all these children are said to be 16 or 17 years of age, federal government sources reported. The littlest child is with a parent or guardian.
But 13 in the group state they are unaccompanied children, maximizing the prospect of the government sending unaccompanied young adults back to Malaysia, where they will be required to support themselves as they quite simply hang around ages for processing by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.
The Immigration Minister, Chris Bowen, talked about: ''Some of these are of course infants, others are folks who claim they're 17 and there'd be further more examination executed on that.'' He explained there's ''no blanket exemptions'' mainly because ''as sure as night follows day, that if you have blanket exemptions people smugglers would exploit that loophole and put children on boats and we'd be dealing with the dangerous situation of boatloads of children.''
But the shadow treasurer, Joe Hockey, said: ''If a father or mother engages in an act of bastardry towards the child, we can not worsen it for that child by dropping them in a 3rd country with no any oversight. I'm sorry, one evil shouldn't be compounded by another evil by a government".
''I fully understand where the govt . is coming from, I am certain the concern about having more children appear unaccompanied but, eventually, we've got to put the children first here. I just hate the idea we are mailing these to Malaysia.''
Mr Bowen said assessments were being created for prone asylum hunters before any moves occur.
A well known immigration lawyer in Sydney, Mr. Christopher Levingston is frustrated with this move by the Immigration Minister Chris Bowen. "Even if there are inappropriate doings in the part of some asylum seekers, the state apparatus can't and must not participate in an act of cowardice. This is wrong, just wrong", Christopher Levingston says, "This is an open air violation of Child Convention, UCCPR and all signed and ratified international laws and Australian domestic laws".
Thirty-five single male adults on the boat are held at the high-security North West Point detention center. Even though they had been read a statement on Thursday telling them they wouldn't be processed in Australia and would be transported to Malaysia, sources within the center said a number of men were surprised to watch morning television and listen to about the Malaysia transfer. The men asked guards what might occur to them.
These individual men are probably be one of the first small groups transferred to Malaysia.
There are 693 asylum seekers in detention on Christmas Island, including the newest boatload. Nearly all are being held at North West Point, with family groups and children at Phosphate Hill.
Morale among staff members is low. ''The deterioration of the psychological wellness of workers is concerning,'' said the Union of Christmas Island Workers boss, Kay Bernard.
Nevertheless, she accepted the appointment of a new administrator in the detention facility.
Who these people were, and exactly how old, has developed into governmental basketball.
With 18 travelers making claims being under 18 years on the initial boat to come since the Malaysia policy came into effect, the government is assaulted by the opposition and UNICEF for mentioning there would be ''no umbrella exemptions'' for those under 18.
That number fell by one not long ago. ''One particular person has now confessed being a grown-up,'' stated an immigration speaker. The Immigration Office would most likely perform ''basic age determination checks'' on the other teenagers, she reported.
Almost all these children are said to be 16 or 17 years of age, federal government sources reported. The littlest child is with a parent or guardian.
But 13 in the group state they are unaccompanied children, maximizing the prospect of the government sending unaccompanied young adults back to Malaysia, where they will be required to support themselves as they quite simply hang around ages for processing by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.
The Immigration Minister, Chris Bowen, talked about: ''Some of these are of course infants, others are folks who claim they're 17 and there'd be further more examination executed on that.'' He explained there's ''no blanket exemptions'' mainly because ''as sure as night follows day, that if you have blanket exemptions people smugglers would exploit that loophole and put children on boats and we'd be dealing with the dangerous situation of boatloads of children.''
But the shadow treasurer, Joe Hockey, said: ''If a father or mother engages in an act of bastardry towards the child, we can not worsen it for that child by dropping them in a 3rd country with no any oversight. I'm sorry, one evil shouldn't be compounded by another evil by a government".
''I fully understand where the govt . is coming from, I am certain the concern about having more children appear unaccompanied but, eventually, we've got to put the children first here. I just hate the idea we are mailing these to Malaysia.''
Mr Bowen said assessments were being created for prone asylum hunters before any moves occur.
A well known immigration lawyer in Sydney, Mr. Christopher Levingston is frustrated with this move by the Immigration Minister Chris Bowen. "Even if there are inappropriate doings in the part of some asylum seekers, the state apparatus can't and must not participate in an act of cowardice. This is wrong, just wrong", Christopher Levingston says, "This is an open air violation of Child Convention, UCCPR and all signed and ratified international laws and Australian domestic laws".
Thirty-five single male adults on the boat are held at the high-security North West Point detention center. Even though they had been read a statement on Thursday telling them they wouldn't be processed in Australia and would be transported to Malaysia, sources within the center said a number of men were surprised to watch morning television and listen to about the Malaysia transfer. The men asked guards what might occur to them.
These individual men are probably be one of the first small groups transferred to Malaysia.
There are 693 asylum seekers in detention on Christmas Island, including the newest boatload. Nearly all are being held at North West Point, with family groups and children at Phosphate Hill.
Morale among staff members is low. ''The deterioration of the psychological wellness of workers is concerning,'' said the Union of Christmas Island Workers boss, Kay Bernard.
Nevertheless, she accepted the appointment of a new administrator in the detention facility.
