Fighting at the Australian immigration detention centre on Christmas Island
November 23 2009 by Liam Clifford
There has been a mass brawl at the notorious detention centre involving 150 inmates.
Clashes between refugees have broken out at the notorious Australian detention centre, on Christmas Island, 100 miles off the Australian coast.
The centre is used to house asylum seekers while their asylum cases to stay in Australia are being processed.
The population of inmates at the centre has peaked in recent months and it is very near to capacity, this is following increased numbers attempting to arrive in boats from Sri Lanka, the number of people currently being detained there is 1200, a tenfold increase from five months ago.
Officials took more than 30 minutes to control the fighting, which broke out between groups of Sri Lankan and Afghan refugees; it is thought that over 150 inmates were involved in the battle, with some 40 being injured.
The Australian Immigration Minister Chris Evans has said that the fight had been the culmination of tensions building up after some of the Sri Lankan refugees’ claims for asylum were rejected.
Following the fighting, the Australian immigration authorities took the precaution of temporarily segregating the Sri Lankan and Afghan inmates.
Last month the government in Australia said it will be adding another 800 beds to the centre, increasing the capacity from 1200 to 2000.
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