Criticism of conditions in Australia’s detention facilities continue to dominiate news headlines; conditions in Manus Island have been described by Australia’s own Immigration Department as presenting “key risks in terms of safety and health.”
A number of submissions made to the Australian Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Works regarding the detention facility at Manus Island can be found here.
Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia continue to struggle to manage Rohingya arrivals. Severe overcrowding in Thai immigration facilities and an outbreak of violence between Burmese Muslim and Rohingya groups at an immigration facility in Belawan, Northern Sumatra have underscored the urgency for viable alternatives to immigration detention.
The IDC is continuing to monitor developments in New Zealand, where the Immigration Amendment Bill recently passed its second reading on 16 April 2013. The IDC has already expressed its deep concern over the provisions of this Bill, read it here.