Detention Stats

The Department of Immigration and Citizenship website states that each week statistics will be updated to show how many people are in detention and in which locations. Throughout 2011 there were very updates of these statistics, 2012 has seen something of an improvement and we usually see public stats released monthly. The latest update is dated 31 May and was provided in late June
 It shows
  • 1,053 children (aged under 18 years) in immigration detention. Of these;
  • 537 were detained in the community under residence determinations (this is 20 less than Feb stats, the positive presumption is that these children now have permanent visas)
  • 516 are in secure locked facilities (235 more than the figure provided by the Govt to Senate Estimates on 21 May 2012), 
  • 117 children are detained on Christmas Island. 
  • The statistics do not list the other facilites where children are held, other than to state that 393 children are detained on the 'mainland' (meaning Leonora, Darwin Airport Lodge et al)
  • 6 children are in 'residential housing', all at the Villawood facility where three children have been held for over 2 years and Ranjini and her kids were recently sent. 
This map shows where Australia's detention centres are located. Here is an explanation of the different forms of detention and why we state there is nothing 'alternate' about a so called 'alternative place of detention'. 

Reports and Analysis

Final report of the Parliamentary Joint Select Committee on Australia's Immigration Detention Network. Included reccomendations such as 90 day limit on immigration detention, that an independent guardian replace the Minister for Immigration as guardian of unaccompanied minors seeking asylum and that children in particular not be detained in remote parts of Australia. Here's our short summary of the report

Captured Childhood, released 21 March 2012 by the International Detention Coalition. The report looks at the practices of eight nations (including Australia) in relation to their treatment of asylum seeking children. A best practice model is suggested and it is noted that it is 'never in the best interests of a child to be detained for immigration purposes'. 

    A National Commissioner for Australia's Children. NGO Sector report available via Unicef (et al), released December 2011. Endorsed by ChilOut and over 30 other organisations this position paper covers the multiple reasons why Australia requires a Children's Commissioner and addresses the huge flaw that exists in our present system whereby the Minister for Immigration is both the guardian and detainer of unaccompanied minors seeking asylum. 

    A New Approach: Breaking the stalemate on refugees and asylum seekers December 2011 released by the Centre for Poilcy Development critiques Australia's policies and makes recommendations that are in keeping with international law and balances humane treatment with security and other concerns.  

    Long-Term Health Costs of Extended Mandatory Detention of Asylum Seekers. Yarra Institute, October 2011.

    Should Parliament ulitimately decide whether asylum seekers may be sent to a foreign country?  August 2011. Elibritt Karlsen briefly examines some of the issues relating to ministerial responsibility for extra-territorial processing of asylum claims.  The paper outlines the Australian Greens recent initiatives to open Ministerial declarations to scrutiny by Parliament as a whole. It also notes the recent High Court challenge directed at the heart of this issue.

    A New Approach. Breaking the Stalemate on Refugees and Asylum Seekers.  August 2011. ChilOut Chair, Kate Gauthier, has contributed to a major report in conjunction with former Secretary of the Department of Immigration, John Menadue, and DIAC careerist, Arja Keski-Nummi.  The report first and foremost calls for a reframing of the debate. They recommend establishing:

    • An independent and professional commission, with a small secretariat and budget, to facilitate informed public debate.
    • An independent Refugee, Asylum and Humanitarian Assistance Authority to administer the policy and programs that fall under Australia's offshore and onshore humanitarian programs underpinned by legislation that clearly articulates the values, principles and objectives of Australia's refugee and asylum policies.

    No Place for Children: Immigration Detention on Christmas Island. June 2011. A ChilOut report prepared following our April 2011 to Christmas Island which, despite much forward planning and approvals gained, was a far more restricted a visit than we had envisaged. The report addresses ChilOut's policy concerns and the current international breaches Australia is engaged in by treating asylum seeker children the way it currently does. Also presented are details of daily life for children detained on Christmas Island, such as a 4year old boy excluded from playgroup as he is deemed to old, but there is no alternate group for him to take part in

    In June 2011 a group of experts from the UK and USA visited Australia to discuss issues of security clearances and immigration detention. Here are the recommendations of the Joint Roundtable (hosted by the UNHCR and the International Detention Coalition), and the report summary.
    Hugo Report on  Economic, Social and Civic Contributions of First and Second Generation Humanitarian Entrants  May 2011. It seems that we are generally accepting of refugees - it's asylum seekers that we have problems with. It shouldn't be too surprising that our tolerance of refugees is high given that 700,000 of us are refugees or descended from them. A major report into the population, productivity and participation of humanitarian entrants, commissioned by DIAC, now provides an evidential basis for this sentiment. Dip into the qualitative and quantitative data contained in the Hugo Report into Economic, social and civic contributions of first and second generation humanitarian entrants for an appreciation of the social and economic benefits they bring to our communities. It tells us:

    "Humanitarian entrants help meet labour shortages, including in low skill and low paid occupations. They display strong entrepreneurial qualities compared with other migrant groups, with a higher than average proportion engaging in small and medium business enterprises."

    Report on Conditions in Detention.  Amnesty International Australia, October 2010. Darwin Asti APOD: The site was extremely overcrowded with families living in very close proximity to each other. Despite the extreme heat, there is practically no shade or areas where children can play.  There is no grass area either as the site is all concreted. There is no suitable space for activities to be conducted. Many of the women Al spoke to feared they were losing thier minds from boredom and anxiety at the uncertainty of their situation.  The women told Al that nearly all of them were on anti depressant and sleeping medication.

    Immigration Detention on Christmas Island.  Australian Human Rights Commission, October 2010.
    While Children are no longer held in high security immigration detention centres, they are still detained in lower security detention facilities. On Christmas island, they are detained in the Construction Camp immigration detention facility. While DIAC categorises teh Construction Camp as 'alternative temporary detention in the community', the commission reiterates it's view that this is misleading.
     
    This one is old but the TPV debate unfortunately keeps rearing its head and this report reminds us of the uneccessary and costly damage caused by this visa class:
    Temporary Protection: Permanent Uncertainty July 2003 Greg Marston reports TPVs mean more children undertake risky journeys as family reunions are not allowed. Lives continue to be lived in limbo. Employers discriminate against TPV holders. Depression abounds and mental health deteriorates. We know all this. These are the reasons the ALP abandoned the TPV regime and yet it is again being bandied about as a panacea.