UN rapporteur urges Australia to close detention facility
Updated
An independent United Nations expert has urged Australia to close its immigration detention facility on Christmas Island. The special rapporteur on health, Anand Grover, has also been speaking on the state of indigenous health in Australia, calling it "Third World" standard. Canberra has been criticised further, with Mr Grover urging the government to enshrine human rights, including health rights, in domestic law.
Presenter: Linda Mottram, Canberra Correspondent
Speakers: Anand Grover, UN Special Rapporteur on Health; Warren Snowdon, Australian Minister for Indigenous Health
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MOTTRAM: The UN independent health expert offered his preliminary findings, after holding talks with officials and visiting facilities and communities across Australia, focusing on two main issues - indigenous health and access to healthcare in detention establishments. And on the issue of Christmas Island, he was emphatic.
GROVER: I think it should be shut down, I think it's a historic thing that they have actually continued with but I think it would be more appropriate for the Australian government with it's new thinking to not have it there at all.
MOTTRAM: Mr Grover didn't visit Christmas Island during his visit. It's so distant, it would have taken him four days in total. He says the same impediments apply to health and legal officials and he says that's not acceptable. He also says the record of refugee approvals and health risks from overcrowding add to his reasoning. And while he's praised the Rudd government for reducing detention times, increasing the frequency of reviews and abandoning temporary protection visas - all of which Mr Grover says helps alleviate the risk of the serious mental health issues seen in the past - there are still concerns.
GROVER: The fact that detention remains mandatory, with no maximum limits on duration of stay and there are no binding legal standards that must be met in provided services. These factors impact negatively on the status of health of persons in detention.
MOTTRAM: The Immigration Minister Chris Evans wasn't available to respond but in a statement, his office rejected the call to close Christmas Island. It also noted:
STATEMENT: "Asylum seekers on Christmas Island receive legal advice and assistance, access to independent review of unfavourable decisions, and external scrutiny by the Immigration Ombudsman. When announcing the government's key immigration detention values on 29 July 2008, the minister emphasised that the values were intended to maintain strong border security, but also treat people with human dignity."
MOTTRAM: The other big area of concern to the Special Rapporteur was the state of indigenous health, which was also heavily criticised during another UN expert visit last August. Mr Grover says the right to health of a significant proportion of indigenous Australians is being violated. He's pointed to the extent of preventable disease, a lack of basic services and poor access to primary health care.
GROVER: They compare disfavourably to other first world, including Canada, United States, but they actually fare worse in some respects when you compare them to even third world countries.
