Detention Incidents: First Charges Laid
Media Release - DPS 4/2003
The first person has been charged and appeared in court today in relation to the recent disturbances in Australia's immigration detention facilities, the Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs (DIMIA) said today.
The man, a UK national, appeared in Parramatta Local Court charged with two instances of damaging Commonwealth property, two instances of threatening to harm a Commonwealth public official and one instance of affray in relation to incidents at the Villawood IDC in Sydney on 31 December 2002.
The Australian Federal Police is continuing investigations into the incidents at the Villawood, Baxter, Woomera, Christmas Island and Port Hedland facilities.
A total of 40 detainees have been moved to State facilities following recent fires and unrest in Australia's detention centres. Four have been transferred from Baxter, 15 from Villawood, seven from Woomera and ten from Port Hedland.
Four detainees were also transferred from the Perth facility. Charges have been laid against the four by WA Police for their involvement in a disturbance at that centre earlier this week. The four have appeared in court.
Because immigration detention facilities are not high security, when detainees present significant management concerns, it is not uncommon to move them to a more secure environment. Such concerns include the safety of other detainees, visitors and staff in the centre.
The Migration Act provides that a state prison, remand centre, police station or watch-house is a place where an immigration detainee may be held.
Extensive searches at detention centres across Australia have revealed weapons and numerous contraband articles that had been hidden by detainees.
The articles included a makeshift knife, a metal bar, broken glass panels, a metal railing and lighter fluid all found at Villawood.
At Woomera, searches uncovered two chisels, 13 pairs of scissors, one cordless drill and a pair of flexicuffs.
Strip-searches have been conducted for some detainees at two centres, Woomera and Baxter.
Seventy-seven detainees were strip-searched at the Woomera centre. During this exercise two mobile phones were located and one man was found to be carrying a screwdriver.
Police are considering theft charges in relation to some of the property found during these searches. At Baxter, 55 detainees were strip-searched.
All strip-searches were carried out according to strict legislation. The privacy and dignity of detainees was maintained during all searches. In addition to this all detainees were fully briefed prior to the commencement of the searches.
All centres remained calm but tense overnight. For this reason, people will be maintained in State correctional facilities over the weekend.
3 January 2003
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