List of Australian immigration detention facilities explained

This is a list of current and former Australian immigration detention facilities. Immigration detention facilities are used to house people in immigration detention, and people detained under the Pacific Solution, and Operation Sovereign Borders.

Most facilities were operated by Australasian Correctional Management (a subsidiary of G4S) under contract from the Department of Immigration until 2003, when ACM exited the market. Between 2003 and 2009, G4S was appointed as the contractor to manage a large number of facilities. Its contract was not renewed and in 2009 Serco Australia was awarded a five-year contract. The offshore processing centres on Nauru and Manus were operated by Broadspectrum (formerly known as Transfield Services), with security sub-contracted to Wilson Security, and later by Canstruct International. The new centres in Lorengau have security by Paladin Group.

Australian government immigration detention centres in Australia and offshore
FacilityStatusClassificationManagedOpened Closed Capacity
nominal; [surge] 		Location
Closed Maximum Australasian Correctional Management (G4S subsidiary) data-sort-value="01 Sep 2002" September 2002 data-sort-value="01 Aug 2007" August 2007 align=right 660; [220] Cultana, South Australia
Operational Maximum data-sort-value="01 Jan 2001" 2001–2008 (temporary), 2008–present align=right 800; [688]Christmas Island
Closed Maximum Australasian Correctional Management (G4S subsidiary)serco and mss security data-sort-value="01 Sep 2001" September 2001 data-sort-value="01 Mar 2002" March 2002 align=right West Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands
Closed Maximum Serco subcontractors mss securitydata-sort-value="01 Apr 2010" April 2010 (reopened) September 2014 align=right 1,500 RAAF Curtin, Western Australia
Opening [2] Medium Department of Immigration and Border Protection align=right 585 Darwin Airport, Northern Territory
Closed Medium data-sort-value="18 Dec 2010" 18 December 2010 Mid 2014 align=right 400 Woodside, South Australia
Leonora Alternative Place of Detention[3] ClosedMedium data-sort-value="01 Jan 2010" 2010 data-sort-value="01 Jan 2014" 2014 align=right 210 Leonora, Western Australia
Manus Regional Processing Centre[4] Closed Maximum data-sort-value="01 Jan 2001" 2001–2004, 2012– October 2017 31 October 2017 align=right 1100[5] Los Negros Island, Manus Province, Papua New Guinea
Operational Medium 2017 align=right 213[6] or possibly 280[7] Lorengau, Manus Province, Papua New Guinea
Operational Medium 2018 align=right 111 Lorengau, Manus Province, Papua New Guinea
Operational Medium 2018 align=right 98 Lorengau, Manus Province, Papua New Guinea
Closed[8] Maximum Global Solutions (former G4S subsidiary).[9] data-sort-value="01 Jan 1983" 1983 2018 align=right 75; [5] Maribyrnong, Victoria
Open ? Serco2008 396[10] Broadmeadows, Victoria[11]
Operational Maximum Broadspectrum with security subcontracted to Wilson Security,[12] [13] and then later Canstruct (October 2017 – November 2018) data-sort-value="01 Jan 2001" 2001–2008, 2012–present[14] align=right 1,200 Nauru
Operational Maximum Department of Immigration and Border Protection data-sort-value="01 Aug 2001" August 2001 align=right 382; [164] Coonawarra, Northern Territory
Operational Maximum Department of Immigration and Border Protection data-sort-value="01 Jan 1981" 1981 align=right 55; [9] Perth Airport, Western Australia
ClosedMedium data-sort-value="01 Aug 2011" August 2011 data-sort-value="01 Sep 2013" September 2013 align=right 400Brighton Army Camp, Pontville, Tasmania
ClosedMedium data-sort-value="01 Jan 2010" 2010 data-sort-value="01 Jan 2014" 2014 align=right 64 Port Augusta, South Australia
Closed Maximum Australasian Correctional Management (G4S subsidiary) data-sort-value="01 Jan 1991" 1991 data-sort-value="01 Apr 2003" April 2003 align=right 600 Port Hedland, Western Australia
ClosedMaximum data-sort-value="01 Jan 2010" 2010 data-sort-value="01 Jan 2014" 2014 align=right 596 RAAF Scherger, Queensland
Operational Medium Serco[15] data-sort-value="01 Jan 2006" 2006 align=right 48 Villawood, New South Wales
Operational Maximum Serco[16] data-sort-value="01 Jan 1981" 1981 align=right 510; [190] Villawood, New South Wales
Closed Maximum Department of Immigration and Border Protection 8 December 2011 July 2016 align=right 1,000 Wickham, Northern Territory
Closed Maximum Australasian Correctional Management (G4S subsidiary) data-sort-value="01 Nov 1999" November 1999 data-sort-value="01 Apr 2003" April 2003 align=right 1,500 Woomera, South Australia
Yongah Hill Immigration Detention CentreOperationalMaximum Serco[17] 27 June 2012 align=right 600 Northam, Western Australia

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: Immigration Detention Services . . 2010-10-07 . 2008 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20100526035720/http://www.au.g4s.com/our_services/our_services.asp?content=ds . May 26, 2010 .
  2. News: Darwin immigration detention centre closes due to 'success in stopping boats'. ABC News. 21 February 2015. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 30 August 2017. 8 November 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171108071031/http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-02-21/blaydin-point-immigration-centre-closes/6174730. live.
  3. News: Ireland. Judith. Scott Morrison announces closure of four immigration detention centres. 30 July 2015. Sydney Morning Herald. AAP. 14 January 2014. 9 January 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160109072933/http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/scott-morrison-announces-closure-of-four-immigration-detention-centres-20140114-30rys.html. live.
  4. Web site: Manus Regional Processing Centre. Australian Border Force. Department of Immigration and Border Protection. 30 July 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20170226172605/http://www.border.gov.au/about/reports-publications/reviews-inquiries/offshore-regional-processing/manus-centre. 26 February 2017. dead.
  5. Web site: The truth about Manus Island . Amnesty International . 2014-01-05 . 17 September 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160917142245/http://www.amnesty.org.au/refugees/comments/33587 . live .
  6. News: Cashing in on refugees, duo make $20 million a month at Manus Island. Australian Financial Review. Feb 10, 2019. 5 April 2019. 4 April 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190404171754/https://www.afr.com/news/policy/foreign-affairs/cashing-in-on-refugees-duo-make-20-million-a-month-at-manus-island-20190210-h1b2e5. live.
  7. News: 'Welcome to Lorengau': reality of detention camp on Manus belies holiday-style brochure. May 18, 2017. The Guardian. Ben Doherty. May 14, 2019. 13 May 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190513170041/https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2017/may/18/welcome-to-lorengau-reality-of-detention-camp-on-manus-belies-holiday-style-brochure. live.
  8. Web site: Government shuts Maribyrnong immigration detention centre, citing fall in numbers. The Guardian. 2 January 2019. 3 June 2020. 8 November 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201108005047/https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/jan/02/government-shuts-maribyrnong-immigration-detention-centre-citing-fall-in-numbers. live.
  9. Web site: Global Solutions Ltd – Corporate Watch. corporatewatch.org. 26 February 2019. 3 December 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201203231045/https://corporatewatch.org/global-solutions-ltd/. live.
  10. Web site: Melbourne Immigration Transit Accommodation . globaldetentionproject.org . 2022-09-16.
  11. Web site: Detention Facilities . www.abf.gov.au . Australian Border Force . 23 April 2021 . 11 December 2020 . 23 April 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210423031824/https://www.abf.gov.au/about-us/what-we-do/border-protection/immigration-detention/detention-facilities . live .
  12. Web site: Wilson Security. Nauru Manus Island Fact Sheet. 12 Nov 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180708220931/https://www.wilsonsecurity.com.au/ourexperience/Documents/Nauru%20and%20Manus%20Island%20Fact%20Sheet.pdf. 8 July 2018. dead.
  13. News: Farrell. Paul. Manus Island and Nauru centres to be run by Transfield in $1.2bn deal. 13 May 2014. The Guardian. 24 February 2014. 27 March 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140327205343/http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/feb/24/manus-island-and-nauru-centres-to-be-run-by-transfield-in-12bn-deal. live.
  14. [Nauru Regional Processing Centre]
  15. Web site: 2011 Immigration Detention at Villawood, Section 4. Australian Human Rights Commission. 12 Nov 2018. www.humanrights.gov.au. 15 April 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190415091558/https://www.humanrights.gov.au/sites/default/files/content/human_rights/immigration/idc2011_villawood.pdf. live.
  16. Web site: NZer who died in detention centre 'had black eyes'. 5 April 2016. 26 February 2019. 27 February 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190227182046/https://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/300705/nzer-who-died-in-detention-centre-'had-black-eyes'. live.
  17. Web site: Serco guard at Western Australia immigration centre accused of sexual assault. Helen. Davidson. 18 September 2018. the Guardian. 26 February 2019. 20 January 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190120012730/https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2018/sep/18/guard-at-western-australia-immigration-centre-accused-of-sexual-assault. live.

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