House of Representatives Committees


| Joint Standing Committee on Migration

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Immigration detention in Australia: A new beginning - Criteria for release from detention

1 December 2008

© Commonwealth of Australia 2008
ISBN 978-0-642-79206-8 (Printed version)
ISBN 978-0-642-79207-5 (HTML version)

View the report as a single document - (PDF 2059KB)


View the report as separate downloadable parts:

Preliminary Pages (PDF 128KB)

Foreword
Membership of the Committee
Committee secretariat
Terms of reference
List of abbreviations
List of recommendations

 
Chapter 1 Introduction (PDF 127KB)

Referral of the inquiry
The immigration detention context
Immigration detention policy framework
Scope and structure of this report

 
Chapter 2 Criteria for release – health, identity and security checks - Detention for the purposes of security checks (PDF 255KB)

Current framework for release from detention
Health, identity and security checks for unauthorised arrivals
Detention for the purposes of health checks
Assessing public health risks
Committee comment
Detention for the purposes of identity checks
Defining identity
Assessing identity risks
Committee comment
Time frames for security assessments
Assessments of security risk
Committee comment

 
Chapter 3 Criteria for release – unacceptable risk and repeated non-compliance (PDF 151KB)

Unacceptable risk to the community
Risk assessment of section 501 detainees
Committee comment
Repeated visa non-compliance
Committee comment
Short-term detention prior to removal
Application of release criteria to excised places

 
Chapter 4 Review mechanisms for ongoing detention (PDF 276KB)

Framework for the review of ongoing detention
Three month review by the Department of Immigration and Citizenship
Committee comment
Six month review by the Commonwealth Ombudsman
Committee comment
Giving effect to the reforms
Calls for legislative change
Committee comment
Options for merits and judicial review for ongoing detention
Committee comment
Length of time in detention
Committee comment

 
Chapter 5 Removals and detention charges (PDF 225KB)

Removal of unlawful non-citizens from Australia
Removal practice by the Department of Immigration and Citizenship
Accounts of enforced removal
Preferred removal options
Committee comment
Detention charges
Debt waiver and write-off
Accumulation and management of detention debt
Criticisms of detention charges
The impact of detention debt on ex-detainees
Committee comment

 
Dissenting report (PDF 100KB)
 
Appendix A: List of submissions to the inquiry (PDF 53KB)
 
Appendix B: List of public hearings and inspections (PDF 76KB)
 
Appendix C: Overview of immigration detention population (PDF 111KB)
 
Appendix D: Time line for immigration detention policy 1989–2008 (PDF 78KB)
 
Appendix E: Types of immigration detention (PDF 76KB)
 
Appendix F: Bridging visas (PDF 73KB)
 
Appendix G: Notice of detention debt and invoice (PDF 140KB)

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