Human Rights Commission criticises Morrison Government’s failure to manage COVID-19 in immigration detention
The Morrison Government must take urgent steps to reduce the number of people detained and improve the safety and conditions in immigration detention to properly manage COVID-19 risk, a new report from the Australian Human Rights Commission has found.
The report released today highlights serious failings in the Morrison Government’s management of COVID-19 risk in immigration detention. The Commission found that overcrowding and inadequate facilities like shared bedrooms and bathrooms do not allow for physical distancing and would increase the risk of rapid transmission in the event of an outbreak.
The Commission also found that many people have been subjected to ‘prison-like’ isolation in circumstances where quarantine may not have been medically necessary. People were held in sparse rooms used for solitary confinement for 14 days regardless of symptoms or testing. The Commission found that this routine practice was a disproportionate restriction of basic rights.
David Burke, Legal Director with the Human Rights Law Centre, called for the Morrison Government to listen to the Australian Human Rights Commission’s recommendations and reduce the numbers of people held in immigration detention.
“Everyone deserves to be safe in this public health crisis. Since the start of the pandemic, medical experts have warned that detention facilities are creating unacceptable health risks for the people held there, the staff, and the broader community.
“This report makes clear that the Morrison Government’s complete failure to manage COVID-19 in immigration detention has put people’s safety at risk and exposed people to unjustifiably harsh treatment and conditions.
“The only way to protect those who are held in immigration detention is to immediately reduce the number of people trapped inside these crowded centres. The Morrison Government must allow people to return to their families or support them in other safe housing in the community where they can socially distance. Failing to act puts lives at risk.”
Media contact:
Michelle Bennett: 0419 100 519
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