Baxter Immigration Reception and Processing Centre
Encyclopedia
Baxter Immigration Reception and Processing Centre or commonly just Baxter Detention Centre, was an Australian immigration detention facility near the town of Port Augusta
in South Australia
. It was the focus of much of the controversy concerning the mandatory detention
of asylum seekers in Australia. It was located on part of the site of the Australian Defence Force
's El Alamein Army Barracks and became operational in September 2002. It closed in August 2007, some of the buildings removed, and the land returned to the Department of Defence. In May 2008, a public auction
was held for the surplus material remaining in the complex.
(ACM). ACM and Thiess were chosen by the Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs. Australasian Correctional Management is responsible for the administration of the Centre.
The Centre suffered several arsons by protesting detainees, including on 12 November 2005, which caused extensive damage and forcing the evacuation of 58 detainees, of whom 4 were treated for smoke inhalation. Minister for Immigration, Amanda Vanstone
, said of the incident: "we don't expect however for people to resort to property damage as a way of handling that frustration and particularly property damage that can put the lives of others at risk."
Port Augusta, South Australia
-Electricity generation:Electricity is generated at the Playford B and Northern power stations from brown coal mined at Leigh Creek, 250 km to the north...
in South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
. It was the focus of much of the controversy concerning the mandatory detention
Mandatory detention in Australia
Mandatory detention in Australia concerns the Australian federal government's policy and system of mandatory immigration detention active from 1992 to date, pursuant to which all persons entering the country without a valid visa are compulsorily detained and sometimes subject to deportation.In the...
of asylum seekers in Australia. It was located on part of the site of the Australian Defence Force
Australian Defence Force
The Australian Defence Force is the military organisation responsible for the defence of Australia. It consists of the Royal Australian Navy , Australian Army, Royal Australian Air Force and a number of 'tri-service' units...
's El Alamein Army Barracks and became operational in September 2002. It closed in August 2007, some of the buildings removed, and the land returned to the Department of Defence. In May 2008, a public auction
Public auction
A public auction is an auction held on behalf of a government in which the property to be auctioned is either property owned by the government, or property which is sold under the authority of a court of law or a government agency with similar authority....
was held for the surplus material remaining in the complex.
Facility
The Centre was built by Thiess Constructions Proprietary Ltd, in partnership with Australasian Correctional ManagementAustralasian Correctional Management
Australasian Correctional Management was a private company owned by Wackenhut, a subsidiary of multinational security giant Group 4 Securicor. From 1998 until 2003 ACM was responsible for running at least six Immigration detention centres in Australia...
(ACM). ACM and Thiess were chosen by the Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs. Australasian Correctional Management is responsible for the administration of the Centre.
The Centre suffered several arsons by protesting detainees, including on 12 November 2005, which caused extensive damage and forcing the evacuation of 58 detainees, of whom 4 were treated for smoke inhalation. Minister for Immigration, Amanda Vanstone
Amanda Vanstone
Amanda Eloise Vanstone is a former Australian politician and a former Ambassador to Italy. She was a Liberal Senator for South Australia from 1984 to 2007, and held several ministerial portfolios in the Howard Government. After her resignation from the Senate in 2007, she served as the Australian...
, said of the incident: "we don't expect however for people to resort to property damage as a way of handling that frustration and particularly property damage that can put the lives of others at risk."
See also
- Curtin Immigration Reception and Processing CentreCurtin Immigration Reception and Processing CentreCurtin Immigration Reception and Processing Centre is an Australian immigration detention facility in the Kimberley in Western Australia. Curtin was described by former Immigration minister, Philip Ruddock, as the country's "most primitive" processing centre...
- Maribyrnong Immigration Detention CentreMaribyrnong Immigration Detention CentreMaribyrnong Immigration Detention Centre is an Australian immigration detention facility in Maribyrnong, Victoria. Originally opened in 1966, as the Maribyrnong Migrant Hostel, then the Midway Hostel in the late 1960s and now based within a part of Victoria University's campus student...
- Woomera Immigration Reception and Processing CentreWoomera Immigration Reception and Processing CentreThe Woomera Immigration Reception and Processing Centre was an Australian immigration detention facility near the village of Woomera in South Australia. It was opened in November 1999 in response to an increase in unauthorised arrivals, which had exceeded the capacity of other detention facilities...
- List of Australian immigration detention facilities
- Peter QasimPeter QasimPeter Qasim was the longest-serving detainee within the Australian immigration detention system, having resided there for over seven years . He had not been deported because he was stateless. He had applied to over 80 countries for asylum, but had not been accepted.His case has been publicised by...
- Cornelia RauCornelia RauCornelia Rau is a German citizen and Australian permanent resident who was unlawfully detained for a period of ten months in 2004 and 2005 as part of the Australian Government's mandatory detention program.- Overview :...
- Baxter ProtestsBaxter ProtestsDuring the Easter weekends of 2003 and 2005 several hundred protesters went to the Baxter Immigration Reception and Processing Centre, located near Port Augusta to protest against the Howard Government's treatment of asylum seekers....
- ChilOutChilOutChilOut is a group opposed to the mandatory imprisonment of children under 18 in immigration detention centres in Australia...