Traumatised children must not go.

Immigration Minister Peter Dutton has the chance to make good on his claim that he wants to  be the Minister who gets children out of detention, the human rights group, Liberty Victoria, said today.

Liberty President George Georgiou SC said Mr Dutton’s comments today that if there were exceptional circumstances he was happy to look at them, was a step in the right direction and confirms that the Minister is responsible for the trauma being suffered by children fearing deportation.

“Medical experts have found children held in offshore detention centres are the most traumatised seen in a combined half century’s experience. How much more exceptional do cases have to be before attempts are made to keep them safe and healthy in Australia?”

With almost as many refugees in the world as there are people in Australia there has never been a greater time for this country to show its compassion, he said.

“Now is not the time to take up the chant about turning back boats. Refugees say they only risk their lives on the water because existence is unbearable on land in their country of origin.”