Women in immigration detention remain an afterthought, follow-up inspection finds
A follow-up inspection has identified that many of the underlying issues in the December 2024 report are unresolved.
Significant concerns about the treatment of women in immigration detention
identified by the Australian Human Rights Commission in its 2024 inspection
report remain unresolved, underscoring the need for stronger safeguards and
improved conditions for women in detention.
The Commission’s latest report, Not just an afterthought revisited: Follow-up
inspection of women in immigration detention at Villawood IDC, examines progress
made since the Commission's inspection of Australia's immigration detention
facilities for women.
The follow-up inspection, led by Human Rights Commissioner Lorraine Finlay,
identified that many of the underlying issues in the December 2024 report are
unresolved.
‘Our follow-up inspection found that the central problem remains. Women are
still being held in a detention system that is overwhelmingly designed around the
needs and experiences of men.
‘Too many women continue to face uncertainty, limited autonomy and barriers
to accessing the support and information they need. While some risks have been
reduced, many of the issues we identified nearly two years ago remain
unresolved.’
Women continue to experience prolonged and uncertain detention, with the
Commission hearing concerns about staff shortages, workforce capability, food
quality, movement restrictions, increased escort requirements, violence and
safety incidents, and ongoing difficulties recruiting and retaining suitably
experienced staff.
Some genuine improvements, including the relocation of women, have been
implemented and reduced some of the serious privacy and safety risks
previously detected. Inspectors also observed examples of strong local
leadership and positive efforts by Villawood staff to improve conditions for
women in detention. The report also found limited progress on many of the
Commission's previous recommendations. In some areas, progress was
incomplete or difficult to assess, particularly in relation to gender-responsive
training, communication, mental health care and guidance for transgender and
gender-diverse people in detention.
‘The improvements made since our 2024 inspection matter, and we recognise
the efforts of staff working within a challenging environment,’ Commissioner
Finlay said.
‘But the current conditions are not adequate. Every woman in detention
deserves to be treated with dignity, respect and humanity. We look forward to
working with the Government and relevant agencies to ensure the
recommendations in this report lead to meaningful and lasting change and that
conditions are improved.’
The report makes 10 recommendations focused on key implementation gaps
and emerging concerns identified during the follow-up inspection.
These include calls for greater transparency about progress on recommendations from the
Commission's 2024 report, gender-responsive training for staff, improved mental
health care, strengthened communication and status resolution processes, and
greater use of alternatives to closed detention.
The Department of Home Affairs has agreed to 8 of the 10 recommendations in
the report, and partially agreed to 2 (recommendations 6 and 10).
Read the report: Not just an afterthought revisited: Follow-up inspection of women
in immigration detention at Villawood IDC.
Media contact: media@humanrights.gov.au or 0457 281 897
ENDS
Media contact
Email: media@humanrights.gov.au or phone: 0457 281 897
