Immigration Detention

Letter to the Editor - The Australian
2 June 2005

Dear Sir/Madam

Once again, your journalist Natasha Robinson (Prison life 'much better than detention’, 2-06-05) has failed to grasp the issues surrounding immigration detention in correctional facilities. Ms Robinson also did not give the department a chance to respond to the claims raised in the article.

The reference to an incident at Curtin Immigration Reception and Processing Centre in 2002, appears to relate to a violent disturbance which involved a large number of detainees, injuries to staff, significant damage to Commonwealth property and lasted over several days. It is not unreasonable to expect that criminal charges may result for those involved.

The article also confuses the Minister’s announcement in February, regarding new arrangements for the management of immigration detainees held in correctional institutions, with the situation of those held serving a custodial sentence or on remand awaiting trial.

The department has no control over the period of time taken to resolve judicial matters or the verdict or sentence imposed by a court.

In the article, Ms Robinson states that “maximum-security prisons have housed hundreds of detainees for more than five years”. Some prisoners do become immigration detainees after completing criminal sentences but we do not recall any recent cases of immigration detainees being held in correctional facilities for such periods of time.

All these facts would have been made clear to Ms Robinson if she had bothered to ask us for a response.

Kym Charlton
Acting Director
Public Affairs
DIMIA