Australian Immigration Daily News

E&OE TRANSCRIPT

Interview on Sky News with Tom Connell

Topics: Repatriation of Sharrouf children

Tom Connell: It is the Trade Minister Simon Birmingham joining us from our Adelaide studio. Thanks very much for your time today. Simon Birmingham let's start with the news of these eight children including of course the Sharrouf children being spirited away from this refugee camp in Syria. Why was this decision taken?

Simon Birmingham: Well thank you Tom and good morning. This decision was taken in the best interests of Australian children and these are Australian children who had their childhoods ripped away from them by their parents. And these are Australian children who will now thankfully get a second chance at having a life in Australia despite the appalling behaviour of their parents in taking them into a war zone. We will work hard, carefully as we have in terms of around the extraction to make sure that those children and Australia have the best chance of success in terms of their resettlement back here.

Tom Connell: That's the difficulty isn't it? The chances they have of actually getting a new life. I mean they’re going into a new name for example and also the reaction of the community around them and if people find out they're going to their school how safe they're feeling.

Simon Birmingham: Well it is important that we handle this very carefully and we've handled it carefully to date and we will continue to do so in terms of the individual assessment and support that will be provided to these children and of course in terms of the confidentiality that's there. I want to pay tribute to the  Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade officials, Home Affairs officials and partner agencies around the world who have helped to date, but also acknowledge the media in terms of responsible coverage of this issue to date and the work that needs to occur from here in terms of protecting the privacy of these children. They are children, yes the oldest is now around the age of 17 and has been through things that most of us could not possibly imagine, but they are Australian children and we should do our best by these children and we are going to do so.

iation of Sharrouf children 24/06/2019 9:45AM

Source: Senator-The-Hon-Simon-Birmingham-Sky-News-Transcript.pdf