Michael Edwards reported this story on Monday, March 14, 2016 18:15:00

MARK COLVIN: A prominent South Sudanese-born lawyer has called for the deportation of members of his community who can’t adjust to life in Australia.



Deng Adut is a former child-soldier who's emerged as an advocate for Australia's community of refugees from South Sudan.



Mr Adut says many of the young men involved in the violence in Melbourne would be suffering from trauma caused by decades of brutal war in Sudan.



He says they deserve help, but if they can't behave then they might be better back where they came from.



Michael Edwards has this report.



MICHAEL EDWARDS: Deng Adut is a lawyer with a busy practice in Blacktown, about 30 kilometres north-west of Sydney.



A refugee from South Sudan, he was forced to become a child soldier just before he turned seven. He describes a life of harsh discipline, beatings and then time in combat where he was shot.



It left Deng Adut traumatised for life.



DENG ADUT: There's all kind of trauma, the injuries, the fear, there's the anxiety, the pain. I've still got a problem with my back, do have a serious back injuries and I do have serious leg injuries.



Still have nightmares every now and then, so some people become dependent on others and some people become isolated from others because of the war and also the trauma associated with.



It is the individual usually that is effected differently by the trauma.



MICHAEL EDWARDS: Many of Deng Adut's clients are young South Sudanese men having run-ins with the law. He says many of them also carry the scars of a brutal childhood.



DENG ADUT: It's a trauma that they got from refugee camps. The trauma that they got from refugee places like Kenya, Egypt, Ethiopia and Uganda.



Nobody, when they were born, nobody would look after them, everybody was involved in a war at large. And nobody would give them in general to look or care for their children.



What their concern was for their welfare. Whether they would leave, so there was the question of leaving and the question of educating the child, they were all completely different.



And no person, no parent had the capacity during the war or at the refugee camp to be able to bring up a good child. So all these thing did affect the children.



MICHAEL EDWARDS: Young South Sudanese men are alleged to have been involved in a spate of violent activities across Australian cities in recent times.



Deng Adut believes part of the problem lies in a breakdown of family traditions and misunderstandings with police.



DENG ADUT: Dumping the law enforcement agencies they any thorough knowledge or a bit of knowledge of South Sudanese, they don't have any.



MICHAEL EDWARDS: While Deng Adut is a passionate advocate for his community, he's also tough when it comes to those South Sudanese men people who continue to misbehave.



He bluntly explains that many of them would be better off if the Australian government sent them back to South Sudan.



DENG ADUT: They're just too traumatised to adjust, and somehow the best way to help them is actually to consider deporting most of these kids, that are there to cause problems for themselves, their parents and the community at large, and wider Australian community.



Because everyone wants to be in peace. Everyone wants to - no-one wants to be assaulted, no one wants to be in trouble. Everyone want to go home when they come from work, go home and sleep - not being assaulted. People work seven days a week and you know that.



MICHAEL EDWARDS: You're saying that if there are young south Sudanese men who are causing problems they should be deported?



DENG ADUT: Yeah.



MICHAEL EDWARDS: That's pretty harsh.



DENG ADUT: It is harsh, but what is, what is there for them, what is life is it there for them? Being in jail every now and then? Go to jail every two months, every three months, every six months, every seven months?



Some of these spend last at least, least 10 years going before the court, so what's the point of keeping these kids here? What's the point?



They're not adding anything to this economy, they're not helping their parents, and they're not helping anyone. And my opinion is basically - it is not working. If it is not working then why keep doing it.



MARK COLVIN: Lawyer Deng Adut ending Michael Edwards’ report.