Separate families in detention: Lazarus

Crossbench senator Glenn Lazarus has proposed forcibly separating families in order to remove children from immigration detention.

The government argues some children in detention are there because families prefer to remain together rather than agree to one of the parents being released into the community.

"I suggested we just don't give the mother and child an option - just take them out," Senator Lazarus told reporters in Canberra on Wednesday.

"The father won't be too happy, but at the end of the day we're talking about children who should not be there."