THE Flood Report into the detention of asylum seekers has highlighted many of the problems associated with keeping these people in prison-like conditions in inhospitable parts of the country.
It is an international embarrassment that Australia has been largely reluctant to accept that asylum seekers deserve fair treatment and conditions.
By clumping genuine asylum seekers with troublemakers, the Federal Government has actually aggravated the situation behind the high barbed wire fences.
Fortunately there has so far been one concession from the Federal Government in response to the Flood Report.
This has been to allow women and children to live outside detention centres.
But the other recommended reforms also need to be implemented.
In addition, they need to be monitored to ensure their effectiveness.
Hopefully the Flood Report will not be filed away to gather dust, but will be an integral blueprint for ensuring that asylum seekers are treated in a fair and just way.
