Australian immigration detention facilities comprise a number of different facilities throughout Australia and one on the Australian territory of Christmas Island.[1] They are used to house people who are detained under Australia’s policy of mandatory detention and previously under the now defunct Pacific Solution. The facilities are currently operated by Serco, and were previously run under G4S who used to be named Global Solutions Limited(GSL), under contract from the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) [2]
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The policy "Migration Act 1958 " was discretionary prior to 1992 but since the 1990s when the Paul Keating ALP government enforced a policy of mandatory detention of unauthorised arrivals, non-citizens arriving by boat without a valid visa were detained until they were either granted a visa, or deported. [3]
Towards the end of the 1990s, a large increase in the number of unauthorised arrivals exceeded the capacity of the existing Immigration Reception and Processing Centres at Port Hedland and Curtin.[4]
According to DIAC, on-shore IDC’s “mainly accommodate over-stayers, people in breach of their visa conditions, or people refused entry at Australia's international airports”. Off shore facilities cater for unauthorised boat arrivals however recently many unauthorised boat arrivals are being transferred to mainland detention centres.
According to DIAC, IRPCs are “primarily used for unauthorised boat arrivals”
According to DIAC, RHPs “provided a flexible detention arrangement to enable women and children under 18 to live in family style accommodation while remaining in immigration detention.”
According to DIAC, "Immigration residential housing provides an option for accommodating people in independent family-style housing in a community setting while still formally being detained. This type of facility is one of several types of alternative residential accommodation for detained people, subject to them meeting eligibility criteria."[7]
According to DIAC, "The Brisbane Immigration Transit Accommodation opened in November 2007 and the Melbourne Immigration Transit Accommodation opened in June 2008. Further immigration transit accommodation will be located in Adelaide. ITCs are for short-term, low-risk detainees." [8]
Since the implementation of the Pacific Solution Australia also funded immigration detention centres on:
Both centres were closed during the first week of February 2008.
Due to increased number of asylum seekers arriving by boat in 2010 and to reduce the overcrowding at the Christmas Island IDC, the Rudd Government had relocated a number of asylum seekers to a number of remote area as a temporary solution.
The facilities have been a source of much controversy during their time of operation. There have been a number of riots and escapes, [10] as well as accusations of human rights abuses from groups as diverse as refugee advocates, Amnesty International, the Australian Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission, Human Rights Watch, and the United Nations.
In March 2002, the Secretary General of Amnesty International, Irene Khan, said:
It is obvious that the prolonged periods of detention, characterised by frustration and insecurity, are doing further damage to individuals who have fled grave human rights abuses. The detention policy has failed as a deterrent and succeeded only as punishment.
How much longer will children and their families be punished for seeking safety from persecution?—Irene Khan, Irene Khan
Former Prime Minister John Howard and successive immigration ministers maintained that their actions were justified in the interests of protecting Australia's borders and ensuring that immigration law was enforced. A 2004 Liberal Party election policy document stated:
Only Australian citizens and permanent residents should have the unrestricted right to travel to, and remain in, Australia. All other people must have an authority, issued by the Australian Government, to travel to, enter or stay in Australia. The Coalition's border protection policy has two objectives: to deter people from arriving in Australia unlawfully, and to deal efficiently and humanely with people who arrive unlawfully, by either speedily returning them to their homeland, or by offering Australia's protection if they are genuine refugees.—Liberal Party of Australia, Liberal Party 2004 election policy