Community Fact Sheet and FAQTransfer of detainees to Christmas Island4 August 2020The Australian Government has today announced that in the weeks ahead, detainees within the mainland immigration detention network will be temporarily transferred to North West Point Immigration Detention Centre (NWPIDC) on Christmas Island. The Australian Border Force (ABF) will meet all necessary health and travel requirements in relation to quarantine and isolation to ensure the ongoing protection of the Christmas Island community. We are working closely with the Christmas Island Emergency Management COVID-19 subcommittee, which includes the Administrator and the Territory Controller on safe arrangements for the entry of detainees and staff. We are also working with the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications (DITRDC) and Western Australian authorities to implement quarantine requirements where appropriate for service providers and ABF staff deploying to Christmas Island. The detainee group will be accommodated at the North West Point facility for approximately six months to relieve capacity within mainland immigration detention facilities due to COVID-19 measures. Global COVID-19 measures such as flight reductions and border closures, has curtailed the ABF’s ability to remove unlawful non-citizens from Australia. With unlawful non-citizens continuing to move from prison to immigration detention, and with required COVID-19 distancing measures in place within the detention network, this is placing the detention network under pressure. As the community is aware, the facility at North West Point was used earlier in the year successfully as a quarantine facility for Australian citizens evacuated from Wuhan in China. None of this cohort tested positive to COVID-19 and the facility received a deep clean after its use for this group. We are engaging with all relevant stakeholders to ensure this operation meets all best practice requirements for the health and safety for all those involved, including the local community. Since the detainees are high risk, is there an increased risk to the CI community?
What will the ABF be doing to ensure the CI community is not at higher risk of COVID-19 as a result of these transfers?
How many staff will travel to CI?
Who will provide health care to the detainees and staff?
Are appropriate measures in place inside the detention centre to reduce the risk of COVID-19?
When will detainee transfers begin?
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