Wren Norwood  

Wren Norwood '19

Project Title: A Human Rights Paradox: Immigration Detention and the Destruction of the Psyche

Summary: Immigration detention has become part of a large debate on platforms such as social media and large news organizations, as well as within the academic community. The effects of immigration detention on the mental health of detained immigrants potentially could have significant effects on the social, political, and economic circumstances of certain nations around the world. Immigration detention and the policies surrounding it are important due to the damage done to those in detention, including the long lasting effects of the mental health symptoms now known to be the product of indefinite stays in detention. This thesis project examines how immigration detention systems operate, and documents the effects of detention on the mental health of the detained. This project also highlights the offshoring of Australia’s immigration responsibilities to nearby nations such as Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, and Nauru and argues that the conditions of detention within these countries, as well as the United States, contradict the values espoused in United States and Australia regarding human rights.