The anti-mandatory detention campaign, which came from the Left, has a simple demand — that the country live up to its freely taken-on treaty obligations. Why have commentators like Robert Manne lost sight of that?
Immigration detention
‘It felt like an electric shock’: life inside Malaysian detention
Asylum seekers and refugees in Malaysia are often subjected to judicial canings, long periods of incarceration and arbitrary arrest, according to reports from within the country’s immigration detention system.
Buildings set alight at Villawood, as gov tries to sell new detention centre
Immigration minister Chris Bowen is facing increasing political pressure over the government’s handling of immigration detention today, after nine buildings were burnt down last night by protesting asylum seekers at Villawood Detention Centre.
AFP struggles to regain control of ‘violent’ Christmas Is protests
Australian Federal Police are struggling to regain control of the ongoing situation on Christmas Island, as detainees continue their week of protests by burning down accommodation tents and throwing rocks.
Detention debt destroyed
After much debate, including a Crikey analysis of which Coalition members supported the bill, the charging of immigration detainees and asylum seekers for their mandatory detention has been scrapped.
Couple still waiting for $262,000 detention bill to be waived
Evelyn and Masoud Shams are still waiting for the government to waive a detention debt of $264,000, reports Sophie Black.
Rudd: master of the firm understatement
Kevin Rudd might be the volatile and temperamental man in private that some journalists have described but in public he continues to show a discipline and calmness that is admirable in a political leader. He has developed quickly into a campaigner of great skill with his delivery of firm understatements, writes Richard Farmer.
Is immigration detention worse than prison?
Another remarkable development yesterday in the sad case of Dr Mohamed Haneef, when his legal advisers opted not to post bail. The obvious conclusion is that immigration detention is regarded as worse than prison, writes Charles Richardson.
