The Australian-based Refugee Action Coalition says the Australian government is imposing a life sentence on child and teenaged asylum seekers by sending them to Manus Island in Papua New Guinea.
After the transfer of another 25 single men from Christmas Island at the weekend there are now about 145 people on Manus, including about 30 minors.
The Coalition's Ian Rintoul says these children cannot be properly cared for on Manus given the facilities and appalling accommodation.
He says Canberra has previously had to admit liability, in high-profile compensation cases, that it had failed in its duty of care to young asylum seekers.
And Mr Rintoul says it is creating worse circumstances on Manus and the impact on children will be devastating.
"They are robbed of their childhood, for people even of their older teens, they are robbed of their formative years, of education, of being able to establish careers. These people will be back in Australia as refugees, perhaps in five years or six years or seven years time and instead of people coming back with being able to contribute to the community but they are going to bring with them all the damage and experience of that period in detention."
