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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2017/sep/06/australian-government-urged-to-ban-orphanage-tourism-immediately
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| Australian government urged to ban orphanage tourism immediately | Australian government urged to ban orphanage tourism immediately |
| (3 days later) | |
| A Liberal-led committee will urge the government to ban Australian involvement in orphanage tourism as a matter of urgency. | A Liberal-led committee will urge the government to ban Australian involvement in orphanage tourism as a matter of urgency. |
| The government is currently examining the introduction of a modern slavery act, which would seek to crack down on exploitation, human trafficking and forced labour, particularly in corporate supply chains. | The government is currently examining the introduction of a modern slavery act, which would seek to crack down on exploitation, human trafficking and forced labour, particularly in corporate supply chains. |
| Last month a committee considering anti-slavery laws heard extensive evidence about the involvement of Australian money in one form of modern slavery: orphanage tourism in developing nations. | Last month a committee considering anti-slavery laws heard extensive evidence about the involvement of Australian money in one form of modern slavery: orphanage tourism in developing nations. |
| The practice – which mostly involves children who are not, in fact, orphans – is propped up by Australian donations and volunteers, particularly in south-east Asia. | The practice – which mostly involves children who are not, in fact, orphans – is propped up by Australian donations and volunteers, particularly in south-east Asia. |
| The committee is now recommending that Australia’s involvement in orphanage tourism be dealt with as an immediate priority, without waiting for a modern slavery act. | The committee is now recommending that Australia’s involvement in orphanage tourism be dealt with as an immediate priority, without waiting for a modern slavery act. |
| The foreign affairs and aid subcommittee is preparing a letter to the attorney general, George Brandis, and the justice minister, Michael Keenan, urging them to consider an immediate ban on Australian involvement in orphanage tourism. | The foreign affairs and aid subcommittee is preparing a letter to the attorney general, George Brandis, and the justice minister, Michael Keenan, urging them to consider an immediate ban on Australian involvement in orphanage tourism. |
| The committee’s chairman, the Liberal MP Chris Crewther, said dealing with Australian involvement in orphanage tourism could not wait for parliament to establish a modern slavery act. | The committee’s chairman, the Liberal MP Chris Crewther, said dealing with Australian involvement in orphanage tourism could not wait for parliament to establish a modern slavery act. |
| “It could be another year and [in that time] you’ve got more people helping and aiding traffickers – that’s a circumstance we really don’t want to be in,” he told Guardian Australia. | “It could be another year and [in that time] you’ve got more people helping and aiding traffickers – that’s a circumstance we really don’t want to be in,” he told Guardian Australia. |
| The letter is expected to be approved by the subcommittee on Thursday. | The letter is expected to be approved by the subcommittee on Thursday. |
| In Cambodia, an estimated 80% of the 16,500 children in orphanages still have a living parent. | In Cambodia, an estimated 80% of the 16,500 children in orphanages still have a living parent. |
| Children are frequently subjected to exploitation, abuse and slave labour, according to the United Nations children’s fund (Unicef) and others. | Children are frequently subjected to exploitation, abuse and slave labour, according to the United Nations children’s fund (Unicef) and others. |
| Many of the institutions are run to profit their owners, propped up by Australian money and volunteers sent by churches, schools, universities, travel agencies and nongovernment organisations. Even well-run orphanages can tend to have negative impacts on children. Studies have shown institutional care for children, which no longer exists in Australia, makes them more likely to develop reactive attachment disorders, developmental delays and behavioural issues. | Many of the institutions are run to profit their owners, propped up by Australian money and volunteers sent by churches, schools, universities, travel agencies and nongovernment organisations. Even well-run orphanages can tend to have negative impacts on children. Studies have shown institutional care for children, which no longer exists in Australia, makes them more likely to develop reactive attachment disorders, developmental delays and behavioural issues. |
| On Monday, the education minister, Simon Birmingham, announced the government would examine policies that could reduce school and university funding for orphanage tourism. | On Monday, the education minister, Simon Birmingham, announced the government would examine policies that could reduce school and university funding for orphanage tourism. |
| The ban proposed by the foreign affairs and aid subcommittee would make the government’s response considerably stronger. | The ban proposed by the foreign affairs and aid subcommittee would make the government’s response considerably stronger. |
| “Not many countries have really taken action, we’re probably leading in terms of any other country in even considering taking action on this issue,” Crewther said. | “Not many countries have really taken action, we’re probably leading in terms of any other country in even considering taking action on this issue,” Crewther said. |
| “The fact is that it’s a money-making exercise and people are being made orphans by traffickers because it feeds into a human-trafficking scheme and it pulls on people’s heart strings.” | “The fact is that it’s a money-making exercise and people are being made orphans by traffickers because it feeds into a human-trafficking scheme and it pulls on people’s heart strings.” |
| Details on how such a ban would work in practice have not yet been considered. | Details on how such a ban would work in practice have not yet been considered. |
| Experts have urged the government to take care not to cut off all Australian funding at once but instead seek to redirect it to aid agencies and nongovernment organisations working to keep children with their families or communities. | Experts have urged the government to take care not to cut off all Australian funding at once but instead seek to redirect it to aid agencies and nongovernment organisations working to keep children with their families or communities. |
| Crewther said a transitional model was needed, one that did not immediately cut off all funding to orphanages. | Crewther said a transitional model was needed, one that did not immediately cut off all funding to orphanages. |