Government to close detention centre compounds, Dutton says

Immigration Minister Peter Dutton today announced the closure of 17 asylum seeker detention centres, which has been clarified in the budget to mean four will be closed, bringing the total number closed since 2013 to 17.

Peter Dutton. Source: AAP

Immigration Minister Peter Dutton today announced the closure of 17 asylum seeker detention centres.

However it appears that means four will be closed, bringing the number closed since 2013 to 17.

Those to be closed are Perth residential housing, Maribyrnong (VIC) detention centre, Blaxland compound at Villawood (NSW) detention centre.

The lease for Wickham Point (NT) centre won't be renewed beyond November 2016.

In Question Time earlier today, Mr Dutton said the government had "worked tirelessly since the day we were first elected to make sure that we could keep the people smugglers out of business, to make sure we could close the detention centres."

"And I'm pleased to announce ahead of the budget tonight that we will close 17 detention centres, resulting in 17 detention centres having been open by Labor and 17 closed by this government," he said.

Nauru

Mr Dutton today accused refugee advocates of giving "false hope" to detainees on Nauru.

"Advocates should reflect on their messages of false hope and misleading portrayal of the situation in Nauru," he said.

The comments come after a 21-year-old Somali woman set herself alight on Nauru.

She is being treated for critical injuries in a Brisbane hospital.

The incident follows the death of a 23-year-old Iranian man in similar circumstances last week.

On Nauru, detainees have staged protests and held vigils for the dead man, identified as Omid Masoumali.

Source: Supplied