Disclosure of DIMIA and Group 4 Agreement Essential?

Letter to the Chairperson - Justice for Refugees SA
22 January 2004

In response to your media release, Disclosure of DIMIA and Group 4 Agreement Essential, I would draw the following facts to your attention.

The detention services contract with GSL Australia is already available to the public.

It can be found at http://www.immi.gov.au/detention/group4/index.htm.

Regarding property issues at the Baxter Immigration Detention Facility, Australasian Correctional Management believes that a significant proportion of the personal items that were said to be missing had been taken by fellow detainees or were destroyed in the January 2003 fires started by detainees.

Detainees are aware that property in their possession is their responsibility and not that of ACM. This was explained to detainees by ACM with an interpreter present. As the owners of the items had chosen not to lodge them with the centre operator for safekeeping, ACM cannot be held responsible.

Where it has been established that a claim is genuine, ACM has offered, where possible, to replace the missing item or provide financial compensation.

Yours sincerely,

Stewart Foster
Director
Public Affairs
DIMIA