title: One psychiatrist's experience of visiting offshore processing centres for people seeking asylum in Australia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe the author's experience of visiting Christmas Island and Nauru offshore detention centres as a visiting child and adolescent psychiatrist in the context of his own experience as a refugee from Europe after WWII.
  
  
  METHODS
  Following a visit to Nauru the author wrote to the Prime Minister and leader of the Opposition expressing his objections to the policies of recent Coalition and Labor Governments.
  
  
  RESULTS
  His actions have led to the author not being invited to return to these centres as a visiting psychiatrist.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The author acknowledges the importance of stopping the boats and proposes that a more humane approach is needed for asylum seekers who arrive by boat.
authors.affiliation: Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist, Private practice, Melbourne, South Yarra, VIC, Australia Robert.Adler@adlerbob.com.
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Adler
mesh_terms: D001315:Australia; D004641:Emigration and Immigration / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D006076:Government; D006806:Human Rights; D006801:Humans; D008603:Mental Health / Q000208:ethnology*; D008849:Micronesia; D011570:Psychiatry; D011640:Public Policy / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D012036:Refugees / Q000523:psychology*
keywords: asylum seekers; government policy; mental health