Immigration spent $1.5m fighting boy's stress suit

The Age reports "the Immigration Department spent more than $1.5 million fighting claims that a young Iranian refugee was traumatised while held in detention centres.

The sum does not include the $400,000 paid to Shayan Badraie, 11, in an out-of-court settlement after months of hearings in the NSW Supreme Court, or the costs of the child's lawyer, which are expected to top $1 million.

Shayan received the payout in March after his lawyers sued the Immigration Department, claiming that he was psychologically harmed while living in Woomera and Villawood detention centres between 2000 and 2002.

Shayan was five years old when he witnessed suicide attempts, self-harm and abuse in both detention centres.

He developed post-traumatic stress disorder and spent 94 days in hospital after refusing to eat, drink or talk.

His family, who arrived as asylum seekers from Iran in 2000, were this year granted permanent residency in Australia.

Responding to a question on notice, Immigration Minister Amanda Vanstone yesterday revealed that the department spent $1.53 million in legal costs on Shayan's case."

Indicators of callous disregard for the rights of victims under Howard's refugee regime come thick and fast, but this stands out as one of the truly awful episodes. Sadly, there are so many tragic tales that it beggars belief. I pity the bureaucrats who have had to sell their souls to a government who just does'nt care about human rights, unless of course they can squeeze some populist electoral advantage out of it such as as in the case of the Tasmanian miners.

The rent has got very low, and many people who voted for this mob need to take a hard look at their motives - they may start to see things in the mirror they don't much like. Australians are notoriously slow to wake up to the misuse of power but eventually their interest in a fair go will out. When that happens I hope they punish this bunch of nasty reactionaries at the ballot box for a long time to come because they have done a lot of bad things in our name.