Incorrect information

The Australian - 4 December 2002

Dear Sir/Madam,

Contrary to claims made in the article 'Ruddock rehouses women, children' (The Australian, 4 December 2002) the Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs (DIMIA) has not at any time forced female detainees housed at the Woomera Residential Housing Project to sacrifice their daily allowance to visit male relatives in the nearby Woomera Detention Centre.

This false claim was first raised this week at the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission (HREOC) Inquiry and was refuted by the Department - but unfortunately it has been promoted in this newspaper as truth and as such needs to be rectified.

DIMIA at all times seeks to treat detainees with dignity and respect. To entertain the idea that detainees are charged in some fashion to see their family members is ludicrous and would be considered unacceptable by most fair minded people.

Stewart Foster
Director
Public Affairs
Dept of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs