Sarah Hanson-Young (SA, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

asked the Minister representing the Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, upon notice, on 23 November 2010:

(1) (a) How many asylum seekers, who have been found to be in genuine need of protection, are still awaiting their security clearance from the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation; and (b) of this number, can a breakdown be provided of the number of asylum seekers that have been held in detention for longer than 3, 6, 9, and 12 months.

(2) When someone is assessed as being in need of Australia's protection, what justification does the department have for their continued and sometimes indefinite detention.

(3) Are advisers that are assigned to detainees required to be legally qualified; if not, are the detainees informed of this fact.

(4) How does the department ensure that case workers are made fully aware of the treatment of minorities by the Iranian Government, particularly its policies for issuing the shenasnameh, which denies Fayli Kurds, Mosafar Arabs and Afghanis the right to hold Iranian identification cards, engage in registered employment, own property, attend official schools, and to have their marriages recognised by the state.

(5) What avenues are open to detainees to request replacement translators if they believe translations are inaccurate or misleading at any stage of the process.

(6) Has trauma counselling been provided to detainees in the aftermath of the recent suicides in the Villawood detention facility.

(7) Is the medical clinic at the Villawood detention facility staffed at night; if

not, why not.

(8) Is it correct, that following the suicide of detainee Mr Josefa Rauluni in September 2010, an area of concrete onto which Mr Rauluni jumped has been dug up, but that no other measures to deal with mental health problems of detainees have been instituted

(9) If measures have been instituted to provide appropriate mental health assistance to detainees, what are those measures.

(10) Is mail addressed to detainees intercepted; if so, have Serco management or government representatives withheld mail from detainees.

(11) Has mail from legal representatives of detainees been withheld from detainees; if so, why has it been withheld.