The problem is detention, not asylum seekers

This article was published in The Sydney Morning Herald 22 September 2010

The tragic death at Villawood detention centre on Monday morning, and the risk to life and health of other detainees who were on the roof, are reminders of the need for a fundamental review of this country's detention policy and practice.

It has been increasingly clear, particularly in recent months, that the immigration detention system is under great stress. The response has been to increase detention capacity: more beds at Christmas Island, Curtin and Broadmeadows, and the establishment of a new detention centre in Weipa in far north Queensland. But the problem is not insufficient detention capacity. The problem is detention.

In order to understand the depth of the problem, it is worth recalling the standard of the ''debate'' that Australia has recently had on asylum seekers.