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Asylum seeker separated from her 1 week old infant
News update 26/11/2014: This is fast becoming a High Court Battle - Australia is watching
I have to say that I was sent information today about the sad situation of an asylum seeker by the name of Latika and her son Farus. In fact, I find the situation completely abhorrent. This woman is located in a Brisbane detention centre. Her status is 'OTHER'. Latifa is called an 'illegal'. Farus lays in the Mater hospital, sick with a respiratory illness whilst his mother is kept away from him for 18 hours a day in a detention centre.
Latifa is a person outside the protection of the law and yet at exactly the same time is constrained by the law. At the very least, the government is not respecting her dignity as a human being, let alone as a mother and a woman.
At a time when Morrison is being accused of turning the asylum-seeker issue into a game of battleships, a woman is separated for 18 days a day from her sick newborn son, Farus. Why? Who knows?
Latifa is kept in Brisbane Immigration Transit Accommodation at Pinkenba, across the other side of Brisbane, with her husband and two children, Fairfax reports.
Immigration minister Scott Morrison has defended limiting her access.
In a statement, a spokesman for Mr Morrison said it was “common practice for mothers not to stay overnight with babies in special care units due to bed restrictions”.
Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young told the ABC the separation is “absolutely inhumane and senselessly callous”.
"Would we accept this for other people?" Ms Hanson-Young said.
"Would this be something that any of us would wish on our sisters, people's wives, on our own mothers?”
"This isn't a game of Battleships with wooden boats. This is about people's lives."
As a mother of two children myself, I can categorically say that the emotional connection between me and my children at their birth was extremey important. That connection cannot be 'timed' into a 'schedule' and a baby can't be 'forced' to 'wake up during the daytime schedule set down by the DIBP'. My heart goes out to this famuily. What about the rights of the father and his bonding with his newborn child? No visitation is available to him and he sits across the other side of Brisbane every day whilst his suffering wife visits her newborn during the hours set down by the government.
This is exactly why the Liberal government need more women. These types of decisions make me utterly sick to the core. How hard would it be for Morrison to simply state that in this circumstance the Mater hospital is included as a detention centre? Does Morrison understand natural justice? Does he care? When he goes to church every Sunday, which he does, does he consider what this mother and child might be feeling? Even Wallaby player, David Pocock has tweeted to Tony Abbott asking if this was who Jesus might be referring to in the Bible when it says 'the least of these' to be looked after.
It is terribly difficult for men to understand the bonding that takes place between a mother and a child. This comes through all sorts of subtle patterns once the child is born. This includes things such as on-demand breastfeding and human contact from the mother when the child is distressed. This helps to soothe and comfort the child and disarm the distress. The constancy of that support from the mother is very important. Breastfeeding and comfort, human contact and settling of a newborn by it's mother cannot be restricted to certain hours of the day. For a government to think this is ok, is quite insane and does not understand the basic concepts of human need.
Again, where is the female voice in this situation? Get more females into Parliament....seriously....what is this country coming to?
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Comments
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Friday, 15 November 2013It was very clear even before the election Abbott is not sensitive to women's concerns. When he got in he's made himself the ministor responsible for women's issues. MA has been a vocal liberal advocate praising the party, these attitudes and views are what you have been supporting. My point is not to spark party rivalry but just to point out this is the party MA was pushing so adamantly. Personally I'd prefer MA was party neutral.
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Friday, 15 November 2013
This is not simply a case of "equality for women". But it does highlight the obvious.
It (the situation in the article above) is a reflection of the greater problem of Asylum seekers (overwhelmingly found to be genuine refugees) being de-humanised (this is the reason for the term "illegal", it's use implies that they are "criminal" somehow, so it's OK if they have no rights as human beings and reduces them to "collateral").
Anyone remember "children overboard"? This is a logical continuation of the de-humanising process.
Also reflected with the department now carrying the moniker "Border Protection"!!! (I though the armed forces were for that!).
Or is this government seriously convinced that the likes of Farus and Latifa will kill us all, enslave our children and take away our toys? (the former government stands just as culpable in this idiocy).
More women in parliament? Sure. Just make sure they are human first. The "men" in that place obviously are not.
As a side "consideration" - would Latifa's predicament be the same if she was a Falkland Islander fleeing an Argentine invasion? Or would that be a different "look" altogether? -
Friday, 15 November 2013
to say this is why the government needs more women implies that men are incapable to be human , so on this point I disagree with you however, the fact that Morrison condoning this practice is at best inhuman goes without saying...
I which I could know more about this matter and this lady's situation for this is unacceptable, there was, I seem to recall, a bipartisan approach to say sorry to our indigenous Australian for separating children from their family.... what did this mean to Morrison... if anything! political correctness like turning the boats around???? how far are we going to let this guy go and for how long!!!! -
Friday, 15 November 2013
Well our political leaders express the sentiments of the majority of Australians.
That is the way it should be. If the mother wants the child to be with her, that does not stop her from being with the child while they are living, but she cannot expect an alien country to accept all her conditions to be with her child.
That is the way with all the students who are here studying coming from Lvel-4 countries; their parents are not allowed to come to stay with them -
Friday, 15 November 2013
Good to see MA fighting for the asylum seekers and refugees. Please also encourage ALL members to write to all senators and labour politicians to block the TPV legislation. This visa caused untold mental health problems when Howard introduced it. It did NOT stop the boats as the Liberal Govt likes to claim. AND it denies the right of the individual to sponsor his/ her spouse and children for ever!! What Australian citizen can agree this is humane. We are telling these vulnerable people to forget they were ever married or have children. SHAME on the Government.
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Friday, 15 November 2013
Alan the child is sick and a week old. She isn't expecting Australia to accept 'all her conditions'. You obviously don't get it. Typical man comment. And this is why girls always comment about men being crap. This is how men think. It's sad.
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Monday, 18 November 2013
It is bad enough slamming the door at people who come knocking asking for help but really!! separating a mother from her newborn and the newborn from the mother ??? unacceptable.
Hospital policy doesn't cut it with me, surely this lady could have been accommodated... Also Alan, alien country doesn't justify inhuman behaviour; if you knew who I am and where I come from you would understand that I am not a do-gooder, just disgusted by people hiding behind policies, laws and regulations, it seems Nuremberg has been forgotten... again.
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I understand that this is not a prohibition by the department but rather a hospital policy for very sick babies. Presumably it is imposed for very good, medical, reasons. Meanwhile, the baby is fortunate enough to be receiving world class care at no cost and hopefully will recover quickly.