Recent reports have highlighted the worsening conditions for asylum seekers in detention around Australia.
Australia has a system of mandatory detention for any people arriving in the country without a valid visa. These people are detained in remote facilities while their applications for asylum are decided.
The Australian Department of Immigration reports that there are 3,289 people in detention centres as of July 2011. More than a third of people in detention centres have been waiting for more than a year to find out whether they can stay in Australia or not.
Between 2008 and June 2011, there were 1,273 reports of assault, damage to property or aggressive and abusive behaviour in detention centres. 596 cases involved allegations of assault while police were notified of incidents 242 times.
In a report to the Australian Parliament, The Australian Medical Association said hospitals were reporting large numbers of adults with mental health problems hurting themselves on purpose and requiring medical treatment. The Association said it was worried about the mental health of detainees.
Meanwhile, Australia's Human Rights Commissioner has reported on the mental health damage of indefinite detention in Curtin Detention Centre.
The Commissioner expressed concern about the high rates of self-harm caused by poor conditions and a lack of services.
"Indefinite detention, particularly in a remote place, is very damaging to [asylum seekers’] mental health. They spoke to us about sleeplessness, about feelings of wanting to [commit] suicide, we know that there've been a worrying number of self-harm incidents there, including a man apparently who threw himself through a glass window."
Alexander Dianati, 37, an Iranian asylum-seeker has been in detention for three months after fleeing Iran to avoid religious persecution. He says fellow detainees are cutting, burning or trying to kill themselves on a weekly basis because they do not know what is happening with their asylum claims.
"Almost every week we have one situation like this, I'm sure Australian people don't know these things.”
He says tension in the facility is extremely high. The "mental health of the detainees is really bad, they are so depressed," he said.
He warned of mass protests if the situation is not resolved. "The most biggest protest will happen in the history of Curtin soon, if Immigration and Serco doesn't do anything, I can guarantee this."
Mr Dianati also says that he was threatened with violence by detention centre staff after he spoke to the media about the problems. Mr Dianati said he was called to a private meeting with a senior staff member from the detention centre. He said the staff member got angry and threatened him after he refused to stop speaking to the media.
There are also reports that detainees and staff members at Villawood Detention Centre in Sydney engage in clashes at least once a week. The Australian Government says that police are called to the centre at least every two weeks.
Villawood holds about 349 asylum seekers. Between 2008 and June this year there were 45 incidents involving injuries to detainees and police were called 87 times. The figures show there were also 22 staff injuries.
Meanwhile asylum seekers in the Darwin detention centre are warning they will increase their protests unless their demands are met within a few days.
"They have given an ultimatum to the immigration department to fix things in a few days, or the protest will escalate. The asylum seekers have access to tools and construction items," the Refugee Action Coalition said.
The detainees want to know when they will find out whether or not they are allowed to stay in Australia.
It is also reported that immigration detention centre guards around Australia are worried that detainees could take them hostage or stage mass suicide attempts as more asylum seekers become increasingly desperate about their plight.
United Voice, the union for staff employed at detention centres, said rumors were circulating that detainees were plotting to take guards hostage to protest the time it was taking to make decisions about their asylum claims.
"Another rumor issuing out of (the Darwin camp) was that detainees were threatening to stage a mass hanging at a time when it was well known that the centre would be understaffed and unable to cope with multiple incidents," the Union said.
Australia has a system of mandatory detention for any people arriving in the country without a valid visa. These people are detained in remote facilities while their applications for asylum are decided.
The Australian Department of Immigration reports that there are 3,289 people in detention centres as of July 2011. More than a third of people in detention centres have been waiting for more than a year to find out whether they can stay in Australia or not.
Between 2008 and June 2011, there were 1,273 reports of assault, damage to property or aggressive and abusive behaviour in detention centres. 596 cases involved allegations of assault while police were notified of incidents 242 times.
In a report to the Australian Parliament, The Australian Medical Association said hospitals were reporting large numbers of adults with mental health problems hurting themselves on purpose and requiring medical treatment. The Association said it was worried about the mental health of detainees.
Meanwhile, Australia's Human Rights Commissioner has reported on the mental health damage of indefinite detention in Curtin Detention Centre.
The Commissioner expressed concern about the high rates of self-harm caused by poor conditions and a lack of services.
"Indefinite detention, particularly in a remote place, is very damaging to [asylum seekers’] mental health. They spoke to us about sleeplessness, about feelings of wanting to [commit] suicide, we know that there've been a worrying number of self-harm incidents there, including a man apparently who threw himself through a glass window."
Alexander Dianati, 37, an Iranian asylum-seeker has been in detention for three months after fleeing Iran to avoid religious persecution. He says fellow detainees are cutting, burning or trying to kill themselves on a weekly basis because they do not know what is happening with their asylum claims.
"Almost every week we have one situation like this, I'm sure Australian people don't know these things.”
He says tension in the facility is extremely high. The "mental health of the detainees is really bad, they are so depressed," he said.
He warned of mass protests if the situation is not resolved. "The most biggest protest will happen in the history of Curtin soon, if Immigration and Serco doesn't do anything, I can guarantee this."
Mr Dianati also says that he was threatened with violence by detention centre staff after he spoke to the media about the problems. Mr Dianati said he was called to a private meeting with a senior staff member from the detention centre. He said the staff member got angry and threatened him after he refused to stop speaking to the media.
There are also reports that detainees and staff members at Villawood Detention Centre in Sydney engage in clashes at least once a week. The Australian Government says that police are called to the centre at least every two weeks.
Villawood holds about 349 asylum seekers. Between 2008 and June this year there were 45 incidents involving injuries to detainees and police were called 87 times. The figures show there were also 22 staff injuries.
Meanwhile asylum seekers in the Darwin detention centre are warning they will increase their protests unless their demands are met within a few days.
"They have given an ultimatum to the immigration department to fix things in a few days, or the protest will escalate. The asylum seekers have access to tools and construction items," the Refugee Action Coalition said.
The detainees want to know when they will find out whether or not they are allowed to stay in Australia.
It is also reported that immigration detention centre guards around Australia are worried that detainees could take them hostage or stage mass suicide attempts as more asylum seekers become increasingly desperate about their plight.
United Voice, the union for staff employed at detention centres, said rumors were circulating that detainees were plotting to take guards hostage to protest the time it was taking to make decisions about their asylum claims.
"Another rumor issuing out of (the Darwin camp) was that detainees were threatening to stage a mass hanging at a time when it was well known that the centre would be understaffed and unable to cope with multiple incidents," the Union said.
