Australia: Perks could be better, say asylum-seekers
Perks could be better, say asylum-seekers
By Padraic Murphy and Stephen McMahon
From: Herald Sun March 31, 2010 3:53am
Perks could be better, say asylum-seekers | News.com.au
SUSPECTED illegal immigrants held in detention in Melbourne enjoy an array of taxpayer-financed perks, including internet access, a DVD library and a gym. But detainees at the Maribyrnong Detention Centre yesterday said the food is poor, the DVDs are a decade old, and XBox games are damaged and in short supply.
"In my section there is only one XBox cricket game. People stopped playing it months ago," one detainee told the Herald Sun.
"The internet hardly ever works, and is heavily restricted anyway."
Detainees organise regular volleyball matches, tend the centre's small vegetable patch and hold weekly barbecues. Meals are prepared by a staff cook, although many detainees prefer to cook for themselves.
"The food is not very good," said Xiang Ye, a 21-year-old Chinese national who has been locked up for three months and expects to be in Maribyrnong for at least another six months.
"It's usually peaceful, but it's very difficult to find things to do."
Others spend their time taking classes.
"I'm trying to take English lessons," said Ali Al-Mashaou, an Iraqi who arrived three months ago on a false passport and is seeking asylum.
"I exercise in the gym and try to talk to people and make friends."
The Maribyrnong centre costs $12.3 million a year to run. There have been 13 escapes in the past five years and only three have been found. Across the nation, there have been 81 escapes from detention centres since July 2004. Forty-five remain at large.
Latest figures show the Maribyrnong Detention Centre is holding 33 men and eight women, including one Vietnamese detainee who has been there for two years.
The Federal Government says almost three-quarters of people placed in detention are kicked out of Australia within two weeks. But those forced to stay longer complain about poor conditions.
Although the Maribyrnong Detention Centre is at less than half of its capacity, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said there had been no discussions with the Victorian Government about using it to house the asylum-seekers from overflowing Christmas Island.
"We have no such plans," he said.