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Last children leave asylum-seeker detention centre: Australia

Sydney (AFP) - The last remaining children held at an offshore asylum-seeker detention centre have been transferred to the Australian mainland, the government said Sunday, as part of a deal to gain lawmakers' support for a tougher immigration law.

"A total of 194 people in family groups, including 94 children, were transferred (to Darwin) on three separate charter flights from Christmas Island over the last week," outgoing Immigration Minister Scott Morrison said in a statement.

"It has always been the government's policy to place as many children into the community as possible, especially young children."

The announcement followed a deal struck in the upper house Senate in early December to gain support for controversial amendments to immigration law that included re-introducing temporary protection visas for refugees.

Another deal on Thursday saw 31 babies born to asylum-seeker parents allowed to stay in Australia while their refugee claims are assessed, instead of being returned to a camp on the Pacific island of Nauru.

Australia has come under international pressure over the offshore detention of asylum-seekers on the Indian Ocean territory of Christmas Island and on Nauru and Manus Island, and for turning back asylum-seeker boats.

But Morrison defended his government's policies, saying the number of children being held in detention has reduced since the Tony Abbott-led administration was elected in September 2013.

"The number of children on Christmas Island had already dramatically reduced by 75 per cent," he said.

"There is also now a 50 percent reduction in child detainees across all centres, including offshore processing, due to our successful border protection policies."

The detention of children on Christmas Island had prompted scrutiny by the Australian Human Rights Commission, which held a national inquiry into the issue earlier this year.

The inquiry heard that the children were plagued by despair and suffering symptoms consistent with post-traumatic stress disorder.

According to immigration figures ending November 30, 438 children are in detention centres including Christmas Island. Some 118 others are housed in residential or transit accommodation on the Australian mainland, while 155 are kept on Nauru.

Only one boatload of asylum-seekers has reached the Australian mainland since December. Before this, boats were arriving almost daily, with hundreds of people dying en route.

Morrison has won praise from Abbott for his management of boat arrivals, and was Sunday promoted to social services minister in an expanded domestic-focused portfolio that takes in child care.