The federal government shows no sign of relaxing its policies on asylum seekers despite an outcry from the medical profession about the effects detention is having on children.
More than 400 doctors and medical staff at Melbourne's Royal Children's Hospital sparked a national debate by highlighting the physical, emotional and mental harm caused to children in immigration detention and urging the government to release them.
"The message is, get the children out of detention. There is no reason why these children need to be in detention," Australian Medical Association president Brian Owler told the Nine Network.
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull says the government's border protection laws may seem harsh but are intended to save lives.
The government says fewer than 100 children remain in detention, but there were as many as 2000 under Labor.
