The Immigration Ombudsman has raised concerns over the government's duty of care to the mental and physical health of asylum seekers in long-term or indefinite detention.
In a May 27 report, the Ombudsman revealed that six children were born between November 2013 and February 2013 to detainees who arrived by boat around August 2012. The children and their families have been detained for more than two years, with their protection claims yet to be processed.
"The Ombudsman notes with concern the Government’s duty of care to detainees and the serious risk to mental and physical health prolonged detention may pose," the report said.
"Without an assessment of the claims of these detainees to determine if they are found to engage Australia’s protection obligations, it appears likely that they will remain in detention for an indefinite period."
Another assessment involved a 33-year-old woman called "Ms X" who has been in immigration detention for more than four and half years, along with her three children aged 10, 14 and 17. They arrived by boat in July 2010.
Though the family were granted protection last June, they remain in community detention.
Senate estimates last week revealed that the average time for a child to be in detention is 345 days, with one child detained for 1774 days, which is nearly five years.
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