Baxter Immigration Reception and Processing Center

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The Baxter Immigration Reception and Processing Center ( Baxter Detention Center for short ) was an Australian internment camp for asylum seekers near the town of Port Augusta in South Australia . For years the internment camp was the target of an Australian protest movement against the then prevailing asylum policy of the national conservative government under John Howard .

It opened in 2002 and closed in August 2007 after years of protests by asylum seekers and demonstrators.

camp

The center was named after the Australian explorer John Baxter (1799–1841), who was also named for the Baxter Range, which is close to the camp . It was built on the site of the El Alamein Army Camp of the Australian Defense Force for AUD 44 million . To prevent escapes, the camp was surrounded by two fences, one of which was electric.

It was set up by John Howard on behalf of the then conservative government to accommodate the so-called boat people who wanted to immigrate to Australia from Indonesia without a visa and were apprehended.

After the camp closed, some buildings were dismantled and the site returned to the Ministry of Defense. The last remaining 12 asylum seekers were transferred to other internment camps. Regarding the opening of the camp, the government stated that its policy had prevented further penetration by asylum seekers and that it was no longer necessary.

Human rights violations

Several human rights violations occurred in the camp. For example, a 37-year-old asylum seeker was held naked in solitary confinement for five days by order of the camp administration after he had attempted suicide .

Five children in one family had been interned in Australian camps for more than three years because they could not produce an entry visa. Only after a judgment by a family court were the children from the camp transferred to church care.

A 39-year-old woman who was obviously mentally ill was detained in the camp for months without her origins being established or illness being recognized.

Protests in the camp

In 2002 and 2005, fires by asylum seekers protesting caused more than AUD 2 million in damage. In July 2005, another inmate protested resulted in property damage of A $ 70,000. On November 12, 2005, asylum seekers protested their accommodation in the camp, damaged facilities and set them on fire. 58 asylum seekers had to be removed from the camp, four of whom had smoke inhalation.

Protest movement

There were violent protests against the internment camp as early as 2002 when around 1200 protesting people pulled down the fence and helped 50 asylum seekers to escape. Six of the refugees were able to be returned to the camp. Then a second fence was erected, which was electrified.

500 people protested against the detention center in April 2003 and set up a protest camp. 33 people were arrested during the three-day protest.

In March 2005, numerous people protested in front of the camp. Several people were arrested and injured in a violent clash between protesters and police. Following the argument, around 500 Australian lawyers protested the police action.

In August 2005 there was a day-long protest in front of the camp, during which 16 protesters were arrested after clashes with the police.

See also

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Penelope Debelle: Three arrests in Baxter protest , April 19, 2003, on The Age. Retrieved March 4, 2017.
  2. ^ Phil Mercer: Australia shuts immigration camp. August 20, 2007, from BBC News, Sydney, accessed March 4, 2017.
  3. ↑ Elison Caldwell: Detainee claims shameful treatment at Baxter detention center. May 6, 2004, on ABC. Retrieved March 4, 2017.
  4. ^ Nancy Haxton: Five Children released from the Baxter Detention Center. August 25, 2003, on ABC. Retrieved March 4, 2017.
  5. ^ Nancy Haxton: Mentally ill woman mistakenly detained in Baxter detention center. February 4, 2005, on ABC. Retrieved March 4, 2017.
  6. ^ Inquiry into the Circumstances of the Immigration Detention of Cornelia Rau. July 2005, on Department of Immigration and Border Protection . Retrieved March 5, 2017.
  7. ^ Baxter detention center to close. August 17, 2007, on News.co.au. Retrieved March 4, 2017.
  8. ↑ Detainees questioned over Baxter fires. ( Memento of the original from March 11, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. November 12, 2005, on ABC . Retrieved March 4, 2017. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.abc.net.au
  9. ↑ Demonstrators and police agree Baxter protest a 'success'. , on ABC News. April 20, 2003.
  10. ^ Police prepare for more Baxter protests. March 28, on ABC News. Retrieved March 4, 2017.
  11. ^ Sally Dixon: Demonstrators claim victory at the Baxter Detention Center. March 28, 2005, on ABC. Retrieved March 4, 2017.

Coordinates: 32 ° 32 ′ 34.1 ″  S , 137 ° 40 ′ 42.5 ″  E