Dr Sev suggests we just release everybody. "I call upon the government to release all the remaining children, with their families, immediately and to change the relevant legislation."

Dr Sev perhaps has his tongue in cheek. He knows the consequences of releasing everybody - more will arrive, attracted by the free ticket to their goal.

So it's not about the children. Note the little bit "with their families". So if asylum seekers arrive with children - no detention. Whoopee! They will bring kids. The kids are the free ticket.

They wouldn't bring kids if the consequence was longer detention. Let's try that.

Why don't we try treating vulnerable refugees as human beings with dignity and respect?

We now know children have been sexually abused in Nauru. We know women have been raped. We know women have been asked to expose their bodies and those of children to guards to have a shower longer than 2 minutes. If that does not shock and appall you I don't know what will.

We know our government sent the AFP to investigate the Save the Children workers. We now know there is no credible evidence to support the sackings of 10 STC workers and the government's witch-hunt.

Will the government now send in the AFP to investigate the rape and child abuse allegations?

Our PM's initial response to child sexual abuse? "I daresay things happen"

We spend $400,000 a year per person to keep refugees in squalor. We do this with intentional cruelty.

I am ashamed of how we treat people who have committed no crime and who have risked everything to come to us for protection.

Come off it BJelly.

We do treat vulnerable refugees as human beings with dignity, probably a bit too much, judging by their lack of reciprocal respect so many show when on our streets.

We also treat gate crashing conmen, who try to trick their way into our country, far too well. We should be treating them as the criminals they are, & must, most definitely never let them any where near our shores.

I am ashamed we have people so dumb & gullible as you & this author in our community, it certainly does not say much good about our education system.

Hi Hasbeen,

"We do treat vulnerable refugees as human beings with dignity"
Can you give me some evidence of this in our offshore detention centres?

"We should be treating them as the criminals they are"

What law have they broken? Under the refugee convention refugees have the right to seek asylum.
However, it is against international law to arbitrarily detain people. It is also against international law to send refugees back to the country they are fleeing from. It is against international law to ignore pleas for help from those in mortal danger at sea. The Australian government and its agencies have done all of these - which is the bigger crime?

We have no vulnerable refugees in detention centres BJelly, just a diminishing bunch of gate crashing fraudsters. Just like criminals who ram raid a business, they deserved to be locked up.

Hell they aren't even detained. They can leave any time they like, & we fools will fly them home at our expense.

If you need a good cry, for the good of your soul, please pick a group worthy of your tears.

Hi Hasbeen - you are welcome to your own opinion, but you can't make up facts to suit yourself.

I asked you to provide me with evidence we treat refugees humanely in offshore detention, and the best you can do is insult me and deny the existence of refugees.

If you have a problem with the fact that we deliberately harm refugees physically, emotionally and psychologically in order to stop the boats (ie stop the people), then that is down to you. I assume you have a heart and maybe the idea that we could be that evil is so incomprehensible to you that you simply have to believe that they aren't real refugees. The alternative, I agree is horrendous.

Again - we know women and children have been abused while under our care in offshore detention centres, and nothing has been done about it - what is the government going to do about it?

We should not detain refugees at all, but if we do we must do it in the most humane way possible. These are real people just like you and me.