Kids policy sees 268 leaving detention

A total of 268 people have been cleared to leave immigration detention under a policy to place vulnerable children in the community, Immigration Minister Chris Bowen says.
The federal government last October said most detained children in vulnerable family groups would be moved into community-based accommodation by June this year.
Mr Bowen told parliament on Tuesday that a carefully managed move was under way.
He said the 268 detainees approved for relocation so far included almost all unaccompanied boys under 15 and all but one recently arrived unaccompanied girl.
The focus was now on families with young children, single-parent families, families with pregnant women, and other particularly vulnerable families.
Mr Bowen said those released would not be placed in public housing.
However, some may be accommodated in rural areas.
He said the issue was emotive, with a poll indicating a majority of people opposed the releases.
But regardless of whether the children were ultimately granted visas to stay in Australia or were sent home, while they were in Australia they deserved the opportunity to grow.
Opposition immigration spokesman Scott Morrison said the detainees were being released into the community under powers Labor had inherited from the Howard government.
He questioned why Labor chose to wait for three years before using the powers.
Mr Morrison said he'd been told that of the 268 approved for release, only 120 had actually left detention.