FEDERAL Scullin MP Harry Jenkins has hit out at his own government over its detention of a woman and her two young sons.
He said detention was having a “devastating” effect on the two Mill Park boys.
Speaking in parliament last Monday Mr Jenkins asked why two young children had been “radicalised” by a decision made by an agency of this government.
Mr Jenkins, said Melbourne man Ganesh and his pregnant Sri Lankan wife Ranjini Perinparasa were asked to attend a meeting with immigration officials on Thursday May 10, and asked to bring Ranjini’s two sons, Pirai, 8, and Kathir, 6, who are students at Mill Park Primary School.
After arriving at the meeting, the family was told Mrs Perinparasa had received an adverse security assessment.
She and her sons were taken and detained indefinitely at Villawood detention centre in Sydney. Lawyers for 51 refugees under indefinite detention, including Mrs Perinparasa, have mounted a High Court challenge to test whether ASIO is obliged to tell the refugees why they are considered security threats, enabling them to defend themselves and allowing decisions to be independently reviewed.
Mr Jenkins told parliament it was “not often that the geopolitical situation meets the local in such a cruel and devastating way as we have seen over the last couple of weeks”.
“Why is it that we continue to not have a procedure where the ASIO clearances can be questioned?
“For this family, I hope that we can find a way that we can get through this mire,” he said.
“I hope that the government takes note of the situations like that of Ranjini Perinparasa and does something to allow these clearances to be looked at so we can balance the human rights and national security requirements.”
An Immigration Department spokeswoman said it was innappropriate to comment on the case because the court action was pending. She said the department did not comment on individual cases.
