Our commitment to human rights
Discover the inspiration behind Detainee Voices Australia and our dedication to advocating for human rights and supporting those affected by immigration and detention issues.
Why Detainee Voices Australia exists
Australia's legal landscape can create a gap between international treaty obligations and the practical rights available to individuals. Detainee Voices Australia was inspired by this discrepancy, aiming to shed light on how international promises often don't translate into domestic legal reality. Our main message is to advocate for a more just and equitable system where fundamental human rights are upheld.
Our focus: the future of children
We aim to help create a future where children affected by detention, removal, deportation, family violence systems, and immigration decision-making are protected. Our focus includes Australian-born children of non-citizens, the best interests of the child, and addressing issues like family separation, partner visa breakdowns, and the impact of domestic violence orders on immigration.
While domestic violence laws are crucial for genuine victims, we also highlight where allegations are misused, exaggerated, or procedurally unfair, as this can have devastating consequences for children, families, and mental health.
Empowering individuals through information
Even though Detainee Voices Australia does not provide legal advice, we empower individuals by documenting and raising awareness about critical issues such as medical neglect and health in detention. This includes physical pain, mental health harm, delayed specialist treatment, and disability issues. We provide tools like medical complaint diaries, pain scale trackers, and incident report templates to help individuals document their experiences.
We also monitor government policy and contractor accountability, examining the standards of Home Affairs, the Australian Border Force (ABF), private detention contractors, and health providers.
Our passionate community of advocates
Detainee Voices Australia is supported by a diverse group of passionate individuals and organisations dedicated to human rights and justice. Our team includes immigration lawyers, human rights lawyers, criminal lawyers, family lawyers, migration agents, psychologists, medical specialists, social workers, interpreters, community organisations, and church/community support groups. Together, we work towards a more humane and accountable system.