Last updated: July 2008

Australia Detention Profile

Discussion of Sources

Information in this profile has been gathered from various sources, including official government documents and statistics, academic studies, local and international human rights organizations, media reports, and legal documents. Information on detention facilities is mainly derived from the Australian Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) websites and reports from 2006, 2007, and 2008.

The number of detention sites mentioned in this document is based on information provided by the DIAC and does not include a comprehensive list of sites and facilities considered “alternatives to detention.” Limited information is available on the frequency of use, locations, levels of security, and duration of detention for other forms of alternative detention in private houses, correctional facilities, watch houses, hotels, apartments, foster care, and hospitals and Residential Housing Centres. The DIAC claims that residential housing offers a “domestic environment with greater autonomy for the detained, while remaining formally in immigration detention” (DIAC 2008).

Much information on detainees is derived from reports produced by international or national non-governmental organizations, human rights groups, and the Australian human rights ombudsman office. Academic studies, and to a certain extent media reports, have been useful for understanding the historical, social, economic, and political contexts of irregular immigration to Australia.