Refugee death triggers unrest at Australia camp

The Department of Immigration and Border Protection said that operations are underway to quell the unrest at the Christmas Island detention centre that started on Sunday night.

Detainees have long complained about ill-treatment at the centre, which is part of Canberra’s hardline migration policy. “I believe that canisters have been fired into the compound but haven’t gone off”, he said. Mr Chegeni had escaped from the facility on Saturday.

Mr Key told reporters this afternoon he had been advised that there could be a small number of New Zealanders involved in the riots.

After nearly 48 hours of turmoil on the Australian territory of Christmas Island, Australian Federal Police (AFP) have moved in defuse riots, fires and unrest, simultaneously as United Nations delegates slam Australia’s treatment of asylum seekers. “Then the screams just stopped”, one detainee said.

A Kiwi detainee, known as Bubbles, said the main perpetrators are those known colloquially as the “501s” – whose visas have been revoked under section 501 of the Migration Act.

“I clearly heard him in the morning screaming for help, and the next thing I see they be bringing him in a body bag, and after that the whole place went into lockdown”.

“The perimeter of the centre remains secure and patrols by service provider staff are continuing”, the immigration department said.

Detainee Matej Cuperka, waiting to be deported to Slovakia, told the brodcaster that the death of Chegeni was very suspicious and the rioters believe the prison guards “did something to him…” “They have drones circulating above the centre”, he said.

Immigration Minister Peter Dutton said one detainee caught up in the fray had requested medical assistance for an unspecified reason, but no serious injuries had been reported.

John Key has ruled out sending officials to the detention centre.

The government says the journey the asylum seekers make is risky and controlled by criminal gangs and they have a duty to stop it. Critics say opposition to asylum is often racially motivated and is damaging Australia’s reputation.

Labor’s immigration spokesperson Richard Marles told Sky News that Labor would be more open about the situation than the government has been, and called on the government to assure the public that “steps are being taken to ensure that people are being kept as safe as they can be”.

A bird’s eye view of the detention centre on Christmas Island.

She said Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull had assured her New Zealand detainees could return home, their applications would be handled “expeditiously”, and their return to New Zealand would not be detrimental to their appeals against deportation.

Only a “small handful” of detainees began rioting after the alleged assault and most of the detainees held a “peaceful protest: by sitting down in the middle of the field, Mr Hohua said”.