Christmas Island Detention Centre

Last updated

The Immigration Detention Centre in 2008 Christmas Island Immigration Detention Centre.jpg
The Immigration Detention Centre in 2008

Christmas Island Immigration Reception and Processing Centre (Christmas Island IRPC) or commonly just Christmas Island Immigration Detention Centre, is an Australian immigration detention facility located on Christmas Island in the Indian Ocean.

Contents

As at 30 April 2023, 53 people were detained at the centre. [1]

History

Temporary facilities for asylum seekers were established on Christmas Island at Phosphate Hill in late 2001. This temporary facility was found inadequate in terms of size, amenity and security. On 12 March 2002, the Australian Government announced the replacement of the existing temporary facility and the construction of a purpose designed and built IRPC on Christmas Island with a capacity of 1200 people. [2] In June 2002, after a tender process, a contractor was appointed to design and construct the facility on a fast track basis.[ citation needed ]

Due to the reduction in the number of boat arrivals in 2001 and 2002 (boat arrivals had reached the Australian mainland since mid-2001), the Australian Government announced on 19 February 2003 to scale back the proposed 1200 person IRPC to 800 places. The existing construction contract was terminated.[ citation needed ]

In September 2003, it was decided to proceed with the construction of the centre with accommodation capacity for approximately 800 people; 416 housed in purpose-designed and built accommodation units, and a further 384 in basic contingency accommodation. [3]

Protests

There have been several protests staged over conditions at the Christmas Island Centre.[ citation needed ]

In 2011, more than 250 detainees hurled rocks at staff and set fire to the accommodation block, causing a substantial amount of damage. They were subdued by tear gas and bean bag rounds, one of the first times bean bag bullets have been used in Australia. The protest was against the conditions and length of time people are held there. [4]

In early 2014, about 375 detainees went on a hunger strike, seven stitching their lips together as a cry for freedom and a sign of solidarity for Iranian asylum seeker Reza Barati. [5]

Further unrest occurred in 2014 after mothers concerned about the living conditions at Construction Camp for their babies, had a meeting with immigration officials. The mothers were reportedly told "You will never be settled in Australia. You will be going to Nauru or Manus Island and that's the end of the story." [6] Following this message it was reported that the mothers started screaming and threatened to set fire to the camp and were arrested. [7] DIBP confirmed that following this arrest seven individuals made threats of self-harm and four committed self-harm. Ten mothers were placed on "guided supportive and monitoring engagement" under the PSP, requiring 24-hour surveillance by a Serco officer. [8]

On 9 November 2015, a riot began at the centre after the death of an asylum seeker. [9] The man escaped the centre and was found at the bottom of a cliff. Those involved in the rioting included criminals facing deportation. [10] Damage to the centre may be as high as $10 million. Detainees involved were flown to Perth and placed in a maximum security prison. [11]

On 26 August 2014, a class action was filed in the Supreme Court of Victoria by law firm Maurice Blackburn on behalf of a six-year-old girl against the Australian Government, claiming negligence in providing health care for Christmas Island detainees. The girl claims to have developed a dental infection, stammer, separation anxiety and has begun wetting her bed while detained on Christmas Island for over a year. [12] The claim if successful could provide potential redress for over a thousand asylum seekers. [13]

Closure: October 2018

On 31 October 2017 there were 314 asylum seekers held in the centre. [14]

On 23 November 2017 it was announced that the centre would close "within seven months". [14] [15]

The facility was closed in October 2018. [16]

Re-opening announced: February 2019

In February 2019, the Morrison government announced plans to re-open the centre, after parliament had passed a bill known as the "Medevac bill" opposed by the Prime Minister and his party, allowing medical professionals to have a greater say in the transfer of sick asylum seekers from Manus and Nauru. Morrison cited the prospect of increased boat arrivals as the reason for re-opening it. [17] [18] [19] The Shire Council president (mayor) of Christmas Island Shire, Gordon Thomson, criticised the move, saying the announcement was "stunning" and "made no practical sense." He told the media that Christmas Island has never provided medical treatment [to detainees] and this would have to be carried out on the Australian mainland. [20]

In April 2019, the Morrison government paid for 140 Serco employees to be sent to Christmas Island, despite there being no refugees on the island. The same month, it was revealed the planned re-opening was going to cost $180 million. [21]

In May 2019, it was reported that 20 Sri Lankan asylum seekers were intercepted and brought to Christmas Island where they were held for a few days, and that their claims were denied and they were flown back to Sri Lanka within the month. Gordon Thompson said he had not been informed of this, and criticised the Morrison government, accusing it of secrecy. Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton denied that any asylum seekers had been detained on Christmas Island, but did say more than 10 boats from Sri Lanka had been turned back before reaching the island. Anthony Albanese, leader of the opposition Labor Party, sought a security brief from the Government on the matter. [22]

On 30 August 2019, a Tamil asylum seeker family were taken by chartered jet from detention in Melbourne, with the intention of returning them to Sri Lanka. A last minute court injunction prevented the removal of the family from Australia, and forced the jet to land in Darwin. The next day, a plane took the family to the Christmas Island detention centre. [23]

Coronavirus quarantine: February 2020

On 29 January 2020, Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced a plan to evacuate "isolated and vulnerable" Australian citizens from Wuhan and Hubei Province amid the coronavirus pandemic, taking them to the Christmas Island for quarantine for 14 days. [24] On 31 January, medical experts were sent from Australia to prepare the centre as a quarantine facility. [25] On 3 February, about 240 Australian citizens, including 84 children and five infants, were flown out of Wuhan on a Qantas evacuation flight to the Australian mainland and then flown on smaller planes to Christmas Island to spend two weeks at the "repurposed" facility. [26] [27] Another 35 Australians flown out of Wuhan on an Air New Zealand flight were transferred to Christmas Island from Brisbane. [26] [28]

2022 riot

In late March 2022, the New Zealand broadcaster Māori Television obtained footage showing bruised and bleeding New Zealand male detainees being zip-tied to furniture in a dining area within the detention centre. Route 501 founder and justice advocate Filipa Payne claimed that the men had been protesting against treatment and conditions at the facility. She also alleged that members of the Emergency Response Team (ERT) had beaten the detainees with steel pipes and batons despite them complying with orders to cease resistance. These New Zealand detainees were facing deportation to New Zealand under the "character test" within Section 501 of the Migration Act 1958. Many of these deportees had lived most of their lives in Australia but had not taken up Australian citizenship. [29] [30]

Facility

Christmas Island Immigration Detention Centre Christmas Island Immigration Detention Centre (5424306236).jpg
Christmas Island Immigration Detention Centre

The centre was constructed on a 40 ha (99-acre) site, formerly a phosphate mining lease, at the north-western end of Christmas Island, next to the Christmas Island National Park. The A$208 million centre was built by Baulderstone from January 2005 until August 2007, for the Department of Finance and Administration. It was finally completed in 2008. [31] It consists of eight accommodation units, education and recreation building, tennis courts and central sports area. Central facilities include induction/visiting area, main reception, administration centre, conference centre, kitchen, laundry and stores, medical centre and utilities building. External facilities include warehouse and visitor processing building. [32]

In 2009, the capacity of the centre was increased to 1800 places and in early 2010 to 2040 places. [33] In February 2010, the Federal Government announced to further increase the capacity to between 2200 and 2300 places "within a couple of weeks". [34] In April 2010 there were 2208 people in detention. [33]

In June 2013 a surge of asylum-seekers resulted in the detention facilities exceeding their designed capacity. Regular operating capacity is 1094 people, with a 'contingency capacity' of 2724. After the interception of four boats in six days carrying 350, the Immigration Department said there were 2960 "irregular maritime arrivals" being held. [35]

Serco, a private contractor, manages the operations of immigration detention centres on behalf of the Australian government. [36] Property services are provided by CI Resources, which also operates a phosphate mine on the Island. [37]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christmas Island</span> External territory of Australia

The Territory of Christmas Island is an Australian external territory in the Indian Ocean comprising the island of the same name. It is located approx. 350 kilometres south of Java and Sumatra and about 1,550 km (840 nmi) north-west of the closest point on the Australian mainland. It has an area of 135 square kilometres (52 sq mi).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Serco</span> British company

Serco Group plc is a British multinational defence, health, space, justice, migration, customer services, and transport company. It is headquartered in Hook, Hart, England. The company operates in Continental Europe, the Middle East, the Asia Pacific region, including Australia and Hong Kong, and North America. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Woomera Immigration Reception and Processing Centre</span> Immigration detention facility in South Australia

The Woomera Immigration Reception and Processing Centre (IRPC) was an Australian immigration detention facility near the village of Woomera in South Australia. It was opened in November 1999 in response to an increase in unauthorised arrivals, which had exceeded the capacity of other detention facilities. It was originally intended to hold 400 people, however at its peak in April 2000 it had nearly 1,500 detainees. After ongoing public pressure in response to several well publicised riots from 2000, accusations of human rights abuses, and capacity issues, the centre closed in April 2003.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pacific Solution</span> Australian asylum policy from 2001

The Pacific Solution is the name given to the government of Australia's policy of transporting asylum seekers to detention centres on island nations in the Pacific Ocean, rather than allowing them to land on the Australian mainland. Initially implemented from 2001 to 2007, it had bipartisan support from the Coalition and Labor opposition at the time. The Pacific Solution consisted of three central strategies:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Australian immigration detention facilities</span> Facilities used to detain people under Australias policy of mandatory immigration detention

Australian immigration detention facilities comprise a number of different facilities throughout Australia, including the Australian territory of Christmas Island. Such facilities also exist in Papua New Guinea and Nauru, namely the Nauru Regional Processing Centre and the Manus Regional Processing Centre.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Villawood Immigration Detention Centre</span>

Villawood Immigration Detention Centre, originally Villawood Migrant Hostel or Villawood Migrant Centre, split into a separate section named Westbridge Migrant Hostel from 1968 to 1984, is an Australian immigration detention facility located in the suburb of Villawood in Sydney, Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nauru Regional Processing Centre</span> Offshore Australian immigration detention facility

The Nauru Regional Processing Centre is an offshore Australian immigration detention facility in use from 2001 to 2008, from 2012 to 2019, and from September 2021. It is located on the South Pacific island nation of Nauru and run by the Government of Nauru. The use of immigration detention facilities is part of a policy of mandatory detention in Australia.

Immigration detention is the policy of holding individuals suspected of visa violations, illegal entry or unauthorized arrival, as well as those subject to deportation and removal until a decision is made by immigration authorities to grant a visa and release them into the community, or to repatriate them to their country of departure. Mandatory detention refers to the practice of compulsorily detaining or imprisoning people seeking political asylum, or who are considered to be illegal immigrants or unauthorized arrivals into a country. Some countries have set a maximum period of detention, while others permit indefinite detention.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Inverbrackie, South Australia</span> Place in South Australia

Inverbrackie is a place within the locality of Woodside in the Australian state of South Australia located about 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) from the 'town centre' in Woodside.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yarl's Wood Immigration Removal Centre</span> Detention centre for foreign nationals prior to their deportation from the United Kingdom

Yarl's Wood Immigration Removal Centre is a detention centre for foreign nationals prior to their deportation from the United Kingdom, one of 10 such centres currently in the UK. It is located near Milton Ernest in Bedfordshire, England, and is operated by Serco, which describes the place as "a fully contained residential centre housing adult women and adult family groups awaiting immigration clearance." Its population is, and has been, overwhelmingly female.

George Newhouse is an Australian human rights lawyer and a former local councillor. He is the principal solicitor of the National Justice Project, a human rights and social justice legal service, and currently an Adjunct Professor of Law at Macquarie University. and at the University of Technology Sydney.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Immigration detention in Australia</span>

The Australian government has a policy and practice of detaining in immigration detention facilities non-citizens not holding a valid visa, suspected of visa violations, illegal entry or unauthorised arrival, and those subject to deportation and removal in immigration detention until a decision is made by the immigration authorities to grant a visa and release them into the community, or to repatriate them to their country of origin/passport. Persons in immigration detention may at any time opt to voluntarily leave Australia for their country of origin, or they may be deported or given a bridging or temporary visa. In 1992, Australia adopted a mandatory detention policy obliging the government to detain all persons entering or being in the country without a valid visa, while their claim to remain in Australia is processed and security and health checks undertaken. Also, at the same time, the law was changed to permit indefinite detention, from the previous limit of 273 days. The policy was instituted by the Keating government in 1992, and was varied by the subsequent Howard, Rudd, Gillard, Abbott, Turnbull, Morrison and Albanese Governments. The policy is regarded as controversial and has been criticised by a number of organisations. In 2004, the High Court of Australia confirmed the constitutionality of indefinite mandatory detention of non-citizens. However, this interpretation was overturned in a landmark decision, NZYQ v Minister for Immigration, in 2023, with the High Court concluding the practice was unlawful and unconstitutional.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Campsfield House</span> United Kingdom immigration detention centre

Campsfield House was an immigration detention centre located in Kidlington near Oxford, England, operated by private prison firm Group 4 under contract with the British government. For 25 years, it was the site of a regular monthly protest from human rights campaigners and saw a number of internal protests, hunger strikes and two suicides. However, it was highly praised by the Chief Inspector of Prisons at the last full inspection in 2014. Campsfield closed in 2018.

Illegal immigration to Australia is defined by the Migration Act 1958, which distinguishes between "lawful non-citizens" and "unlawful non-citizens".

Asylum in Australia has been granted to many refugees since 1945, when half a million Europeans displaced by World War II were given asylum. Since then, there have been periodic waves of asylum seekers from South East Asia and the Middle East, with government policy and public opinion changing over the years.

Reza Barati was a 23-year-old asylum seeker who was killed during rioting at the Manus Island Regional Processing Centre (MIRPC), Papua New Guinea, on 17 February 2014. An Iranian Kurd, he had arrived in Australia on 24 July 2013 – just five days after the PNG solution was announced – and was sent to Manus Island in August.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Manus Regional Processing Centre</span> An offshore Australian immigration detention facility

The Manus Regional Processing Centre, or Manus Island Regional Processing Centre (MIRCP), was one of a number of offshore Australian immigration detention facilities. The centre was located on the PNG Navy Base Lombrum on Los Negros Island in Manus Province, Papua New Guinea.

Immigration detention in the United Kingdom is the practice of detaining foreign nationals for the purpose of immigration control. Unlike some other countries, UK provisions to detain are not outlined in a codified constitution. Instead, immigration enforcement holds individuals under Powers granted in the Immigration Act 1971 and by the Home Office Detention Centre Rules (2001). The expressed purpose of immigration detention is to "effect removal; initially to establish a person's identity or basis of claim; or [implement] where there is reason to believe that the person will fail to comply with any conditions attached to a grant of immigration bail." Detention can only lawfully be exercised under these provisions where there is a "realistic prospect of removal within a reasonable period".

The Murugappan family, also known as the Nadesalingam family, consists of Nadesalingam Murugappan (Nades), his wife Kokilapathmapriya Nadesalingam (Priya) and their two daughters. They are Sri Lankan Tamils seeking asylum in Australia. The couple married in Australia after arriving separately on people smuggler boats; their children were subsequently born in Australia. Until their detention by the Australian Border Force in March 2018, the family, which was resident in the central Queensland town of Biloela, was consequently referred to as the Biloela family by some media. The cause of the couple and their children has been supported by some residents of Biloela as well as asylum-seeker advocates. The Australian federal government of the time assessed them not to be refugees and, consequently, detained and sought to remove them.

Brigid Arthur, csb, also known as Marie Brigid Arthur, and Marie Therese/a Arthur, is an Australian Brigidine sister, educator, refugee advocate and activist on social issues.

References

  1. ↑ Refugee Council of Australia, Statistics on people in detention in Australia Archived 6 June 2023 at the Wayback Machine , 13 May 2023
  2. ↑
  3. ↑ "Proposed Christmas Island Immigration, Reception and Processing Centre" (PDF). Department of Finance and Administration. September 2003. Archived (PDF) from the original on 8 October 2009. Retrieved 9 February 2010.
  4. ↑ Martin, Andrew (April 2011). "Christmas Island escape highlights bad conditions". Direct Action. Socialist Alternative. Archived from the original on 7 December 2017. Retrieved 8 December 2017.
  5. ↑ "Asylum Seekers stitch lips together in hunger strike". The Sydney Morning Herald. Faifax Media. AAP. 1 June 2014. Archived from the original on 7 December 2017. Retrieved 12 November 2015.
  6. ↑ Elizabeth J. Elliott (31 July 2014). "Report to the Australian Human Rights Commission Inquiry into the Impact of Immigration Detention on Children" (doc). Australian Human Rights Commission. p. 12. Archived from the original on 5 October 2015. Retrieved 12 November 2015.
  7. ↑ Australian Human Rights Commission, National Inquiry into Children in Immigration Detention 2014, Inquiry team interviews with three language groups, File note, 15 July 2014.
  8. ↑ C Hatswell, Assistant Director AHRC Inquiry Taskforce, Department of Immigration and Border Protection, Correspondence to the Commission, National Inquiry into Children in Immigration Detention 2014, 22 July 2014.
  9. ↑ "Christmas Island detention centre 'calm' after 'stand-off' with authorities following refugee's death: Immigration Department". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). 10 November 2015. Archived from the original on 9 November 2015. Retrieved 10 November 2015.
  10. ↑ Robertson, Joshua (10 November 2015). "Christmas Island detention centre 'under control' after riot police move in". The Guardian (Australia). Guardian News and Media Limited. Archived from the original on 10 November 2015. Retrieved 12 November 2015.
  11. ↑ Anderson, Stephanie. "Christmas Island riot: Dutton confirms $10m damage bill as more detainees moved from centre to Perth". ABC News. ABC (Australia). Archived from the original on 12 November 2015. Retrieved 12 November 2015.
  12. ↑ Archived 7 April 2015 at the Wayback Machine , Injured Asylum Seekers Sue Australian Government
  13. ↑ Archived 12 April 2015 at the Wayback Machine , Maurice Blackburn Class Action Christmas Island Asylum Seekers
  14. 1 2 "Christmas Island detention centre will close". SkyNEWS . Australian News Channel Pty Ltd. 23 November 2017. Archived from the original on 7 December 2017. Retrieved 7 December 2017.
  15. ↑ "Christmas Island detention centre to close in seven months" . The Australian . 23 November 2017. Retrieved 7 December 2017.
  16. ↑ "After 10 years, the notorious Christmas Island detention centre has quietly closed". The Sydney Morning Herald. 4 October 2018. Archived from the original on 6 December 2018. Retrieved 5 December 2018.
  17. ↑ "Christmas Island: Australia to reopen controversial migrant detention camp". The Independent. Archived from the original on 13 February 2019. Retrieved 13 February 2019.
  18. ↑ Gagliardi, Jason. "Your noon Briefing: PM orders Christmas Island to reopen". The Australian. Retrieved 13 February 2019.
  19. ↑ Procter, Nicholas; Kenny, Mary Anne (13 February 2019). "Explainer: how will the 'medevac' bill actually affect ill asylum seekers?". The Conversation. Archived from the original on 13 February 2019. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
  20. ↑ "Christmas Island Shire Council not warned about detention centre reopening". ABC. 13 February 2019. Archived from the original on 18 May 2020. Retrieved 10 June 2019.
  21. ↑ "Government sends 140 Serco staff to Christmas Island despite no refugees being there". Sydney Morning Herald. 4 April 2019. Archived from the original on 18 May 2019. Retrieved 12 May 2019.
  22. ↑ "Christmas Island locals not told of asylum seekers who arrived on boat from Sri Lanka". ABC. 30 May 2019. Archived from the original on 1 June 2019. Retrieved 10 June 2019.
  23. ↑ "Tamil asylum seeker family from Biloela taken to Christmas Island detention centre". ABC. 1 September 2019. Archived from the original on 3 September 2019. Retrieved 3 September 2019.
  24. ↑ "Australians stranded in Wuhan to be evacuated to Christmas Island". SBS News. 29 January 2020. Archived from the original on 7 February 2020. Retrieved 8 February 2020.
  25. ↑ "Medicos are preparing Christmas Island to be coronavirus quarantine zone". SBS News. 31 January 2020. Archived from the original on 8 February 2020. Retrieved 8 February 2020.
  26. 1 2 Carmody, James (5 February 2020). "Coronavirus fear remains on Christmas Island as authorities reassure locals they are safe from infection". ABC News. Archived from the original on 8 February 2020. Retrieved 8 February 2020.
  27. ↑ Zhou, Naaman; Doherty, Ben (8 February 2020). "'A hard and sad decision': fleeing coronavirus in Wuhan for Christmas Island". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 8 February 2020. Retrieved 8 February 2020.
  28. ↑ Xiao, Bang; Walsh, Michael (5 February 2020). "Coronavirus evacuees battle cockroaches, bad internet on first night on Christmas Island". ABC News. Archived from the original on 22 August 2020. Retrieved 8 February 2020.
  29. ↑ Trafford, Will (30 March 2022). "501 deportees gushing blood, tied to furniture at Aussie facility". The New Zealand Herald . Archived from the original on 30 March 2022. Retrieved 10 April 2022.
  30. ↑ Gregoire, Paul (1 April 2022). "Former Residents in Immigration Detention Treated to State-Sanctioned Violence". Sydney Criminal Lawyers. Archived from the original on 31 March 2022. Retrieved 10 April 2022.
  31. ↑ Australian Human Rights Commission (2012) "Immigration Detention on Christmas Island" [ permanent dead link ] p.14, Retrieved 8 December 2017 ( PDF version Archived 12 May 2018 at the Wayback Machine -1.71 MB)
  32. ↑ "Christmas Island Immigration, Reception and Processing Centre". Baulderstone. Retrieved 5 February 2010.
  33. 1 2 "Department of Immigration sends 184 asylum-seekers to Darwin". Paige Taylor. The Australian. 20 April 2010. Archived from the original on 28 March 2011. Retrieved 20 April 2010.
  34. ↑ "Bring asylum seekers to mainland – Greens". Courier Mail. 8 February 2010. Retrieved 9 February 2010.[ permanent dead link ]
  35. ↑ Rintoul, Stuart (20 June 2013). "Pre-election surge pushes island centres far beyond capacity". The Australian. Archived from the original on 20 June 2013. Retrieved 19 July 2013.
  36. ↑ "Detention Infrastructure". Global Detention Project. July 2008. Archived from the original on 24 May 2011. Retrieved 9 February 2010.
  37. ↑ "Deal for Christmas Isl phosphate". 18 January 2015. Archived from the original on 18 May 2015. Retrieved 17 May 2015.

10°28′15.95″S105°34′32.06″E / 10.4710972°S 105.5755722°E / -10.4710972; 105.5755722

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.