Fed: Govt has no plans to expand role of Christmas Island

AAP General News (Australia)
04-26-2005
Fed: Govt has no plans to expand role of Christmas Island

CANBERRA, April 26 AAP - The federal government has denied it plans to expand Christmas
Island's role in the immigration detention policy.

Only those who reach an area specially excised after the 2001 Tampa incident are detained
offshore.

Gordon Thompson, the shire president of Christmas Island where Australia is building
an 800-bed immigration centre, said yesterday he had been told the government had changed
its policy.

He said the government intended all refugees who come by boat to Australia would be
detained on Christmas Island.

Mr Thompson said the policy had been spelled out at a meeting between the government's
Immigration Detention Advisory Group and island officials.

But a spokesman for Immigration Minister Senator Amanda Vanstone today said the government
had no plans to change the policy.

"Christmas Island is used for unauthorised boat arrivals who arrive in areas that are
excised from the migration zone, and there's no plans to change that," the spokesman said.

During the 2001 Tampa crisis, the government changed migration laws to ensure refugees
detained on Christmas Island could not apply for a visa and were denied access to refugee
services.

Mr Thompson said the cost of the $336 million centre seemed like a lot to spend, with
the number of asylum seekers falling steeply in recent years.

AAP db/cf/bwl

KEYWORD: ASYLUM DENIAL

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