
#180 Maximum human lifespan; a twist on a classic physics experiment; saving the kākāpō
The world, the universe and us
00:00
The Health of Children in Immigration Detention Centres in Australia
Australia has been keeping child asylum seekers in detention facilities over the past decade. In 2012, we had this really big surge of asylum seekers arriving by boat,. And these included many children who were travelling alone or with their families. So then to try to deter others from coming, the Australian government actually started holding hundreds of these children as a last resort. A small number of pediatricians have actually been allowed to visit these centres over the years and they've described really dire conditions. For example, there was one report by the Australian Human Rights Commission in 2015 of a two-year-old boy who was playing with cockroaches because he didn't have any toys.
Transcript
Play full episode