Detention report a disappointment to human rights groups

1 December 2008

A Just Australia, a national refugee policy group, has today voiced bitter disappointment at some of the recommendations of the latest parliamentary inquiry into immigration detention.

Recently the Immigration Minister released the new direction in immigration detention, which stated that detention would be on a risk-based assessment rather than the default for everyone. A Just Australia believes that putting these values into practice requires changes to law and oversight mechanisms or it will remain business as usual in the detention centres.

"This inquiry has missed out on a vital opportunity to put the new detention values into practice. Without proper oversight, including independent powers to release, the new values are just another public relations smokescreen to quieten the public's concerns over harsh detention policies." Said National Coordinator, Kate Gauthier.

"We'd like to see the committee pay more than lip-service to human rights. This report is a step in the right direction, but such a small step it's negligible."

Every other system of detention in Australia - e.g. mental health or judicial - has time limits and independent oversight which looks at both the lawfulness and the merit of removing a person's liberty. Immigration detention is the only type that doesn't have any such safety net.

"This is the same department who detained over 200 lawful residents, deported an Australian citizen and locked up Cornelia Rau. Is this report seriously saying that this department can still lock people away without oversight? How many more millions of dollars in compensation do taxpayers have to fork out before someone thinks there's a real problem here?"

A Just Australia notes the dissenting report from Petro Georgiou and Senators Sarah Hansen-Young and Alan Eggleston.

"We applaud the dissenting report which raises the issue of time limits and proper oversight. All expert evidence advised that the oversight of internal 3 month reviews with 6 month ombudsman reviews would fail to bring real change. But this committee ignored the evidence so they could deliver a report in line with current government policy. "

A Just Australia is also concerned that despite the promises of 2005 to release kids, children are currently being held in detention centres. The government has simply changed what they call the mini-centres so they can fudge the statistics." Ms Gauthier said. "The Government must immediately move to ensure that kids are not being detained in any government immigration facility."