The Refugee Council of Australia (RCOA) is deeply concerned by the findings from the Commonwealth National Preventive Mechanism (NPM) regarding the ‘soft room’ at the Yongah Hill Immigration Detention Centre. The discovery of this unregulated space, which lacks basic amenities such as a toilet, sink, and running water, is troubling and raises serious questions about the conditions detainees are subjected to.
RCOA deputy CEO Adama Kamara emphasised that the existence of such a facility reflects a disturbing disregard for the dignity and basic human rights of people in detention.
“We believe this situation is unacceptable and, as the NPM report identifies, a troubling continuation of undocumented separate confinement. The lack of checks and balances normally required for this type of space is glaringly omitted. The Department of Home Affairs’ response that guidelines are underway does not reflect that the use of these types of rooms has been identified previously nor does it address the concern that the ‘soft rooms’ could be classified as “dry cells”, spaces which are prohibited in the immigration detention network.
“The Refugee Council has even greater concerns given the introduction, at the end of last year, of new legislation that will not only provide increased search and seizure powers but could also see mobile phones prohibited. This will impact the already limited communications in Yongah Hill, an issue highlighted by the Ombudsman, and crucially will further decrease oversight of any mistreatment, including the use of ‘soft rooms’.”
We echo the concerns of the Commonwealth NPM and urge the Department of Home Affairs to take swift and meaningful action to address these findings, ensuring that detention conditions meet minimum standards of human decency.
