Authorities at the Christmas Island Detention Centre have fired tear gas on detainees in a bid to regain control of several compounds, according to two advocates and a detainee.
Several buildings were set ablaze on Saturday night and detainees climbed on the roof of remaining compounds.
Detainees at the remote island detention centre have been protesting their conditions and detention since 5 January, with some remaining on the roofs for several days.
Serco, the private company running the Christmas Island Detention Centre, and Australian Border Force officials are said to have promised the detainees they will distribute medication and restore wifi, which was cut earlier in the week.
But those promises weren’t kept and detainees began rioting again at roughly 7:30pm local time on Saturday.
They are also allegedly protesting being locked down for 22 hours per day and their lack of recreational activities.
Conditions ‘worse than prison’
The Refugee Action Coalition (RAC) Sydney said Serco had been recruiting extra guards to take control of the situation.
“Serco moved in to take control of the Green and Blue compounds again after the protests restarted. I’m not sure whether they have managed to gain control as of this morning,” RAC spokesman Ian Rintoul told SBS News.
“There needs to be a full independent inquiry into the conditions on Christmas Island,” Mr Rintoul said.
“It is inhumane to cut these people off from contact with family and legal support. Many are suffering from all the problems created by long-term detention. The government is holding people in far worse conditions than the prison system,” he added.
Steven Pavey, a UK detainee of Green 2 compound facing deportation, said his compound had been badly burnt and that all the men had been moved to a separate compound last night that was dirty and unclean and they were forced to sleep on cold concrete.
“What they are doing here isn’t right. We haven’t slept all night. No blankets or nothing and the compound is filthy,” he told SBS News.
“Since they were firing the tear gas last night, no one has received medical attention,” he said.
“Serco keep saying it’s not up to them.”
Filipa Payne, an advocate for New Zealanders facing deportation from Australia, told SBS News men were still on the roofs as of Sunday morning and that men had been moved out of one compound, which had completely burnt down.
“Tear gas and rubber bullets were used to attempt to regain control of the compound and so was extreme brutality,” Ms Payne said.
The Australian Department of Home Affairs told SBS News in a statement that they were working closely with Australian Federal Police to “restore order” to the immigration detention facility at North West Point on Christmas Island “following a disturbance involving a small number of detainees”.
Around 250 people are believed to be held on Christmas Island.
The ABF says detainees at the centre consist of “unlawful non-citizens who have no entitlement to remain in the Australia due to convictions for crimes such as assault, sexual offences, drugs and other violent offences”.
