Duration, Programs, Activities and Health Care

Duration in immigration detention

One of the core operational principles of immigration detention is that people are detained for the shortest practicable time.

Some of the difficulties that contribute to the length of time spent in immigration detention include:

• circumstances which are not conducive to a safe and orderly return to their county of origin, such as a state of warfare or civil unrest
• difficulty confirming identity and related problems in obtaining travel documentation
• the absence of any agreed protocols for return
• difficulties in effecting transit through third countries.

There are also people in immigration detention who are refusing to accept decisions that they are not refugees and are pursuing appeals through the Australian courts, or are not cooperating with plans for their removal. They can end their immigration detention at any time by requesting to be removed from Australia.

Programs and activities in immigration detention facilities

A number of programs and activities are run within the immigration detention facilities which contribute to a person in immigration detention's development and quality of life. These include English language instruction, cultural classes and sporting activities.

Health care

All people in immigration detention are provided access to health care at a standard generally comparable to the health care available to the Australian community. Health care services are provided by qualified health professionals and take into account the diverse and potentially complex health care needs of people in immigration detention.

A health induction assessment is offered to every person entering immigration detention to identify conditions that will require attention while the person is accommodated in detention. As well as the health induction assessment, there are mechanisms in place to identify health needs that may emerge during a person's time in detention, including formal monitoring processes such as regular mental health rescreening for people detained for longer periods.
See: Immigration Detention Health Services