In a statement today, the Refugee Action for Change (ReAct) said that various studies have found that separating children from their parents or guardians over a prolonged period of time can trigger extreme stress responses on the body which results in additional impact on their health and development.
“Countless studies across the globe have shown resounding findings which imply severe long-term effects on a child’s physical, mental, and social well-being and developmental health when detained.
“It has also been shown that those with significant trauma exposure prior to detention, experience greater risks of these effects.
“With all of those findings accumulated, one can only imagine the anguish and agony the children are currently experiencing in detention centres, (where they have been) penalised for seeking a safe place,” ReAct said.
The NGO was referring to the home ministry’s recent revelation that 756 children, including 268 girls, were being held at immigration detention centres nationwide as of Oct 26. The home ministry said this in Parliament on Tuesday in response to a question from Kluang MP Wong Shu Qi.
Around half of the 756 children detained are from Myanmar and believed to be child refugees and asylum seekers.
Noting the existing trauma they suffered in their countries of origin – where they fled from war, persecution and violence – the NGO said the government’s current policy of detaining child refugees and asylum seekers seemingly imposes even greater trauma on them by confining them to immigration detention centres.
“Every child deserves the right to a life of dignity, the right to play and enjoy their youth and the right to live in a productive environment. These (rights) apply just as much to refugee and asylum seeker children.”
ReAct reiterated its support for the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia’s push for the “Alternative to Detention” pilot project where unaccompanied and separated children are housed in alternative accommodation instead of being detained.
Calling for the government to reflect on policies which may no longer be justified, ReAct said the government needs to take proactive steps to phase out the policy of child detention in Malaysia.
“Let us be the embodiment of true compassion, empathy and kindness, especially when it comes to children. Let us not normalise trauma, pain and suffering for these children who have already seen and experienced more than any child should,” ReAct said.
Earlier today, rights group Lawyers for Liberty (LFL) described the government’s detention of hundreds of children at immigration detention centres as “highly unacceptable”.
In a statement, LFL coordinator Zaid Malek urged the government not to treat the children as criminals as they could not have entered the country on their own volition and are entirely victims of circumstances.
He reminded the government that Malaysia, being a party to the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), must ensure that the child’s best interest be a primary consideration.