Australia warned on asylum camps

The Catholic Church has warned the Australian government that it could be sued for negligence for failing to protect young asylum seekers held in detention camps.

The Church said in a report that hundreds of detainees, many of them children, have deliberately injured or starved themselves in the camps, as an illustration of their despair.

The report, by the Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace, documented 264 incidents during an eight month period last year.

The commission said any responsible organisation would not keep children in such dangerous conditions.

The Australian government said self-harm incidents were committed by only a small proportion of more than 9,000 held in camps for illegal immigrants during that period.

About 1,200 asylum seekers remain in detention awaiting deportation or an appeal a failed refugee claim.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service