The use of immigration detention continued to escalate as an issue of concern in the region, including amongst NGOs and medical professionals in Australia who have been vocal in criticising the impact of the Australian government’s policy of offshore processing on asylum seekers.
This can be noted in a number of media reports regarding the detention facility on Nauru.
NGO work on the issue of immigration detention has been extensive and a report of the IDC’s Regional Workshop on Immigration Detention in partnership with the Asia Pacific Refugee Rights Network (APPRN), held in Bangkok in late October 2012, is now available online, where NGOs from 14 countries in the region have developed two year project plans to address this growing trend.