Labors decision to send an eight-year-old boy back to detention after a heart-wrenching funeral for victims of the Christmas Island tragedy has been dubbed "stupid".

Sinan Khaligy broke down at his father's funeral in Sydney yesterday, after his family was wiped out in the shipwreck of an asylum boat.

The body of his mother has not been found, but Sinan was expected to be sent back to detention today.

Today asylum seeker advocates today lodged a complaint with the Human Rights Commission into the handling of the boy’s case.

In turn lawyers for relatives of the boy have reportedly called on the Immigration Department to suspend the transfer of the boy until the complaint is investigated.

Immigration Minister Chris Bowen stood firm on his decision to send 22 asylum seekers back, but said he would be released back into the community "very quickly".

Coalition counterpart Scott Morrison was today forced to defend himself against accusations he had urged the Liberal Party to exploit negative sentiment against muslims, describing it as gossip that did not reflect his views.

And Christmas Island shire president Gordon Thomson says the government's decision to return the orphaned boy to the remote Australian territory is stupid.

“The boy in particular is in a terrible way,'' Mr Thomson told ABC Radio.

“I understand that he goes to the gate every time a bus bringing a new group of refugee to Christmas Island turns up at the detention centre.

“He is waiting at the gate looking for his mother and his father.''

Mr Thomson said an aunt caring for the young boy in detention was not well herself and required daily medical treatment.

“They shouldn't be returned. It's counter-intuitive, it's silly, a stupid idea.''

That's a sentiment shared by the head of the government's health advisory panel on immigration detention.

Louise Newman says all the children involved in the December tragedy are “at an acute risk of mental disorder''.

“Having those children come to the mainland, meet with other families who could potentially be very appropriate and supportive people in their lives, then to face yet another separation back to Christmas Island, the site of their traumatic experience, is really quite bizarre,'' Prof Newman told ABC Radio.

But Immigration Minister Chris Bowen continued to defend the decision to fly the entire group back west today.

It is understood they all boarded a flight about 9am today.

In total 21 will be returned to Christmas Island while another individual will be taken to Perth.

“Very clearly he (the Iranian boy) needs to be released into the community and he will be,'' Mr Bowen told ABC Radio.

“I've just got a few more checks to make to make sure we have the appropriate care arrangements in place.''

The immigration minister said he envisaged that happening “very quickly''.

Earlier Mr Bowen said he would look at "all options" for the boy.

"The normal circumstance would be that he would be cared for by an appropriate church, charity, psychologically-trained carer, etcetera," Mr Bowen said yesterday.

Mr Bowen put the cost of a charter flight for family members, from Christmas Island to Sydney, at $300,000.

Sinan and 20 other survivors headed back to the detention centre as Opposition Leader Tony Abbott conceded the Coalition went "too far" in criticising taxpayer-funded flights for them to attend family funerals in Sydney.

Mr Abbott applauded his immigration spokesman Scott Morrison, who acknowledged he had been "insensitive and inappropriate" with his remarks.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/detaining-grieving-asylum-seeker-orphan-stupid/...

Gillard really loves Kids doesn't she. The witch!!!

OMG!

What sort of government/monster does this to a child?

An orphan at that.

Jeezus

Maybe Labor could just sink the boats, like the Liberals did.

Skippy, this is your governments policy, the Labor government you see no fault in... OK.

Abbott has not had his turn as PM, lets judge his actions then shall we.

Meanwhile, if your short attention span will permit, look at this child's face.

I swear to you, if I were PM, this child would be home in my bed as though he were my own child.

The way I put my own kids in my bed when they are not feeling well.

MONGRELS!!!

mellie wrote on Feb 17^th, 2011 at 5:03pm:


But you want Abbott to form government, do you agree with Liberal policy?
Labor are not my party, I vote GREENs, and I do not believe in mandatory detention, do you?

Labors decision to send an eight-year-old boy back to detention after a heart-wrenching funeral for victims of the Christmas Island tragedy has been dubbed "stupid".

Sinan Khaligy broke down at his father's funeral in Sydney yesterday, after his family was wiped out in the shipwreck of an asylum boat.

The body of his mother has not been found, but Sinan was expected to be sent back to detention today.

Today asylum seeker advocates today lodged a complaint with the Human Rights Commission into the handling of the boy’s case.

In turn lawyers for relatives of the boy have reportedly called on the Immigration Department to suspend the transfer of the boy until the complaint is investigated.

Immigration Minister Chris Bowen stood firm on his decision to send 22 asylum seekers back, but said he would be released back into the community "very quickly".

Coalition counterpart Scott Morrison was today forced to defend himself against accusations he had urged the Liberal Party to exploit negative sentiment against muslims, describing it as gossip that did not reflect his views.

And Christmas Island shire president Gordon Thomson says the government's decision to return the orphaned boy to the remote Australian territory is stupid.

“The boy in particular is in a terrible way,'' Mr Thomson told ABC Radio.

“I understand that he goes to the gate every time a bus bringing a new group of refugee to Christmas Island turns up at the detention centre.

“He is waiting at the gate looking for his mother and his father.''

Mr Thomson said an aunt caring for the young boy in detention was not well herself and required daily medical treatment.

“They shouldn't be returned. It's counter-intuitive, it's silly, a stupid idea.''

That's a sentiment shared by the head of the government's health advisory panel on immigration detention.

Louise Newman says all the children involved in the December tragedy are “at an acute risk of mental disorder''.

“Having those children come to the mainland, meet with other families who could potentially be very appropriate and supportive people in their lives, then to face yet another separation back to Christmas Island, the site of their traumatic experience, is really quite bizarre,'' Prof Newman told ABC Radio.

But Immigration Minister Chris Bowen continued to defend the decision to fly the entire group back west today.

It is understood they all boarded a flight about 9am today.

In total 21 will be returned to Christmas Island while another individual will be taken to Perth.

“Very clearly he (the Iranian boy) needs to be released into the community and he will be,'' Mr Bowen told ABC Radio.

“I've just got a few more checks to make to make sure we have the appropriate care arrangements in place.''

The immigration minister said he envisaged that happening “very quickly''.

Earlier Mr Bowen said he would look at "all options" for the boy.

"The normal circumstance would be that he would be cared for by an appropriate church, charity, psychologically-trained carer, etcetera," Mr Bowen said yesterday.

Mr Bowen put the cost of a charter flight for family members, from Christmas Island to Sydney, at $300,000.

Sinan and 20 other survivors headed back to the detention centre as Opposition Leader Tony Abbott conceded the Coalition went "too far" in criticising taxpayer-funded flights for them to attend family funerals in Sydney.

Mr Abbott applauded his immigration spokesman Scott Morrison, who acknowledged he had been "insensitive and inappropriate" with his remarks.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/detaining-grieving-asylum-seeker-orphan-stupid/...

If our border policies were as they should be, they wouldn't be here to begin with, they wouldn't be trying to jump the queue as it wouldn't be worth their while, so would arrive legally like others who have to wait their turn.

Gotta love Greens, went from hugging trees to refugees virtually over night!

Hypocrites!

I agree that children (in particular) shouldn't be kept in detention - and that orphans should be placed with suitable permanent caregivers (preferably relatives) ASAP...

That said, I am not convinced by the confected outrage over the Govt's handling of the child in question - when it comes from those who supported the fervent demonisation and vilification of the same child's family over the past few days...

This grandstanding is predominantly about political point-scoring - not genuine concern for the scapegoated child's welfare!