SENATE INQUIRY INTO CHILD MIGRATION Submission by the Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs December 2000 Senate Inquiry Into Child Migration Table of Contents PART 1 - PREAMBLE Introduction ...................................................................................................................................................................3 Framework of submission..............................................................................................................................................4 Key issues .....................................................................................................................................................................6 Who were the child migrants?...........................................................................................................................................6 How Many Children Were Sent from Institutions in the United Kingdom to Institutions in Australia?.........................................7 What arrangements did the Minister make for his responsibilities as guardian to be carried out?.............................................7 What was the motivation for Commonwealth involvement in the schemes?...........................................................................8 What are the parallels between child migrants and separated indigenous children?...............................................................8 The social context and attitudes to institutional care ............................................................................................................9 What has the Commonwealth done to assist child migrants to reunite with their families and receive counselling about their experiences?.................................................................................................................................................................10 Grounds for Compensation?...........................................................................................................................................11 Conclusion....................................................................................................................................................................11 Part 2 - RESPONSE TO TERMS OF REFERENCE 1. Overview of Child Migration Schemes ...................................................................................................................13 Origins of the Child Migration Scheme – Overview of Schemes pre 1945 .....................................................................14 Factors that influenced the emigration of British children ...................................................................................................14 Agencies involved in child emigration...............................................................................................................................15 Barnardo’s ....................................................................................................................................................................16 Fairbridge......................................................................................................................................................................16 Big Brother ....................................................................................................................................................................16 Christian Brothers ..........................................................................................................................................................17 Child Migration Schemes since 1945............................................................................................................................17 ‘Populate or perish’ ........................................................................................................................................................18 Consideration of children in the migration program............................................................................................................18 Changing United Kingdom attitudes to child migration in the post war period.......................................................................19 Legislative basis for post war child migration....................................................................................................................20 Operation of the schemes ...............................................................................................................................................21 Commonwealth funding arrangements .............................................................................................................................22 Inspections of children’s Institutions .................................................................................................................................22 Moss and Ross Reports .................................................................................................................................................24 Moss Report..................................................................................................................................................................24 Ross Report..................................................................................................................................................................24 1960s Onwards – Changes In Monitoring Practices ..........................................................................................................25 Institutional care and changing social values in Australia............................................................................................26 Other child and youth migration schemes from the United Kingdom ..........................................................................28 Big Brother Movement....................................................................................................................................................28 Single Parent and Two Parent Scheme............................................................................................................................29 Recent migrant children arrivals and the IGOC Act......................................................................................................29 Humanitarian Minors ......................................................................................................................................................29 Inter-country Adoptions ..................................................................................................................................................30 2. Responses To The Legacy Of Child Migration Schemes ........................................................................................32 Idea of Family Reunion during the 1940s and 1950s .........................................................................................................32 Counselling and Aftercare...............................................................................................................................................34 Measures taken to assist former child migrants ................................................................................................................35 Assistance in accessing records......................................................................................................................................36 Health and Counselling Services .....................................................................................................................................37 Acquiring a Sense of Identity ...........................................................................................................................................37 3. Formal Acknowledgment And Apology..................................................................................................................39 4. Measures of Reparation Including, But Not Limited To, Compensation And Rehabilitation....................................41 5. Statutory and Administrative Limitations...............................................................................................................43 PART 3 - ATTACHMENTS Attachment A Child/Youth migration statistics 1947-June 1961 ..........................................................................................45 Attachment B Approval of institutions to receive child or youth migrants ..............................................................................46 Attachment C Text of Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs Form Australian Citizenship, No. 8 – former British child migrants 1014I .......................................................................................................................................................48 Annexure A Instruments of Delegation .............................................................................................................................51 Annexure B Indenture between Western Australia Child Welfare Department and the Catholic Episcopal Migration and Welfare Association....................................................................................................................................................................52 Bibliography ................................................................................................................................................................53