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Australian immigration detention facilities comprise a number of different facilities throughout Australia and the Pacific Ocean . They are used to house people who are Detained under Australia’s policy of Mandatory Detention and the Pacific Solution . Most facilities are operated by Global Solutions Limited (GSL) under contract from the Department Of Immigration And Multicultural Affairs (DIMA). BACKGROUND Since the 1990s when the Paul Keating ALP government enforced a policy of Mandatory Detention of unauthorised arrivals, non-citizens arriving by boat without a valid visa were detained until they were either granted a Visa , or deported. Towards the end of the 1990s, a large increase in the number of unauthorised arrivals exceeded the capacity of the existing Immigration Reception and Processing Centres at Port Hedland and Curtin . FACILITIES Immigration Detention Centres (IDCs) According to DIMA, IDC’s “mainly accommodate over-stayers, people in breach of their visa conditions, or people refused entry at Australia's international airports” Immigration Reception and Processing Centres (IRPCs) According to DIMIA, IRPCs are “primarily used for unauthorised boat arrivals”
Residential Housing Projects (RHPs) According to DIMA, RHPs “provide a flexible detention arrangement to enable women and children to live in family style accommodation while remaining in immigration detention.”
Pacific Solution facilities Since the implementation of the Pacific Solution Australia also funded immigration detention centres on: CONTROVERSY The facilities have been a source of much controversy during their time of operation. There have been a number of riots and escapes, as well as accusations of Human Rights abuses from groups as diverse as refugee advocates, Amnesty International , the Australian Human Rights And Equal Opportunity Commission , Human Rights Watch , and the United Nations . In March 2002, the Secretary General of Amnesty International, Irene Khan , said: Current Prime Minister John Howard and successive immigration ministers maintained that their actions were justified in the interests of protecting Australia's borders and ensuring that Immigration Law was enforced. A 2004 Liberal Party election policy document stated:
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