ID :
16121
Sat, 08/16/2008 - 19:24
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Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/16121
The shortlink copeid
Detention centre 'harsh, prison-like'
Refugee advocates who have toured Australia's new immigration detention centre on Christmas Island say it is "extremely harsh" and unsuitable.
The federal government recently softened immigration laws so that fewer asylumseekers will be detained, and people will be detained for less time.
But boat people will still be detained on Christmas Island - and refugee groups haveslammed the $400 million detention centre's "high security, prison-like character".
Amnesty International and seven other groups have written to Immigration MinisterChris Evans after touring the centre this week.
"It is an extremely harsh and stark environment to detain people seeking asylumwhile their applications for protection are determined," the letter said.
"The very expensive security systems of the facility are quite unnecessary for the population who may be detained there." "The damage that has been done to people's mental and physical health by detaining them in remote high security detention centres such as this has been documented repeatedly." The letter, signed by groups including the Refugee Council of Australia and the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre, called for all asylum seekers to have theirapplications dealt with under the procedures that apply on the Australian mainland.
Christmas Island is located in the Indian Ocean, more than 2,000km from Perth.
Senator Evans said the new detention centre would continue to be used to house unauthorised boat arrivals - and pointed out it had been built by the previousgovernment.
"The Rudd government inherited the new immigration detention centre on Christmas Island which was designed and built to the previous government's specifications as amaximum security facility," Senator Evans said.
He said the centre could accommodate up to 800 people.
Some fencing had been removed so children and families arriving on the island couldlive in a "community environment", Senator Evans said.
He defended the government's policy of maintaining a system of mandatory detentionand excising certain areas from Australia's migration zone.
The federal government recently softened immigration laws so that fewer asylumseekers will be detained, and people will be detained for less time.
But boat people will still be detained on Christmas Island - and refugee groups haveslammed the $400 million detention centre's "high security, prison-like character".
Amnesty International and seven other groups have written to Immigration MinisterChris Evans after touring the centre this week.
"It is an extremely harsh and stark environment to detain people seeking asylumwhile their applications for protection are determined," the letter said.
"The very expensive security systems of the facility are quite unnecessary for the population who may be detained there." "The damage that has been done to people's mental and physical health by detaining them in remote high security detention centres such as this has been documented repeatedly." The letter, signed by groups including the Refugee Council of Australia and the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre, called for all asylum seekers to have theirapplications dealt with under the procedures that apply on the Australian mainland.
Christmas Island is located in the Indian Ocean, more than 2,000km from Perth.
Senator Evans said the new detention centre would continue to be used to house unauthorised boat arrivals - and pointed out it had been built by the previousgovernment.
"The Rudd government inherited the new immigration detention centre on Christmas Island which was designed and built to the previous government's specifications as amaximum security facility," Senator Evans said.
He said the centre could accommodate up to 800 people.
Some fencing had been removed so children and families arriving on the island couldlive in a "community environment", Senator Evans said.
He defended the government's policy of maintaining a system of mandatory detentionand excising certain areas from Australia's migration zone.
