Australia vows to ‘restore order’ after unrest breaks out on detention island for immigrants
- An advocacy group said reports from inside the Christmas Island facility suggested two compounds had been set ablaze as tensions boiled over
- Officials said an operation was under way ‘to restore order after a disturbance’ at the North West Point Immigration Detention Centre
The Australian Border Force said an operation was under way “to restore order after a disturbance” at the North West Point Immigration Detention Centre on the Australian territory in the Indian Ocean.
“A small number of detainees caused some damage to the facility overnight and continue to be non-compliant,” the government agency said in a statement, adding there were no reports of any injuries.
Advocacy group Refugee Action Coalition said reports from inside the centre suggested two compounds had been set ablaze overnight Tuesday into Wednesday as tensions boiled over.
“While the extent of the damage is not known, the glare from the fires and the extent of the smoke in the air indicates the fires are substantial,” the group said.
National Justice Project principal lawyer George Newhouse said detainees were increasingly frustrated with conditions after being confined to their rooms for up to 22 hours a day and unable to contact their families because of poor mobile phone signal.
“The federal government have a policy of keeping detainees in harsh and inhumane conditions to force them to leave Australia,” Newhouse said.