Border Force Commissioner Roman Quaedvlieg has defended his department’s decision to ban mobile phones from onshore detention centres, stating in Senate Estimates that detainees have used their devices for drug deals and escape attempts.
“It is a well-known fact that in custodial settings things like mobile phones are not just contraband and currency but are actually utilised to ferment a whole range of activities, including escapes and the smuggling of contraband into the centres,” he told the committee.
Several detainees have sued the department to keep their phones, with two litigants receiving temporary injunctions, a lawyer for the department said.
Although the injunctions bar the government from confiscating further phones from detainees, departmental lawyer told Senate Estimates they would not return the 179 phones which they deemed to have been ‘voluntarily’ surrendered prior to the ban.
Commissioner Quaedvlieg – who said he initiated the ban with the support of Immigration Minister Peter Dutton – promised to “vigorously litigate” the matter, but admitted there was no law banning phones.
“I just cannot ensure the security and safety of detainees across the population by running centres where I allow mobile phones to be used broadly,” he said.
Refugee advocates have slammed the ban.
"This move is an exercise in cruelty that further isolates people seeking asylum from the outside world," said Tim O'Connor from the Refugee Council of Australia.
"For many of the innocent people locked up in these centres, contact with those in the Australian community is a lifeline.
"Banning mobile phones also means it will be even harder for people so long denied access to justice to even - or ever - access fair legal processes."
Commissioner Quaedvlieg said the department had made an effort ahead of the ban to ensure adequate access to landline phones and internet facilities.
“I would like people to have access to legal advice and to be able to contact family and friends when they choose in the privacy of their room, but that does not reconcile with my concern about running a secure amenity,” he said.
