Villawood Detention Centre

Photographer : Synthia K.

In 2005 I started getting really interested in refugee rights. I met a girl at university who was involved in a group who regularly visited the Villawood Detention centre in Sydney. The detention centre houses asylum seekers, most of whom have had to flee their countries because of human rights violations. One Sunday she invited me to come along to Sunday afternoon visiting hours.

At first I was reluctant and nervous; what right did I have to just go in and visit? What would I say? How would I be perceived? Were visitors even wanted? After deliberating over these questions I decided that it was really important that I see the situation for myself. I wanted to meet the real people behind the news stories I had been following.

When we arrived at the centre we were confronted with a lengthy procedure that involved producing identification, filling out forms and having a computer check. My friend knew a few people who were living in the compound, so by listing their names on a form we were able to enter the visiting area. The visiting area itself was very basic and fairly sparse. I was pretty disturbed to be surrounded by towering walls of barbed wire—not the most comforting environment.

Detainees at Villawood are given no indication of how long they will have to remain in detention. Many people I spoke to were unable to contact their lawyers or their legal aid representatives to find out about their cases. At Villawood no cameras, no video recorders, no mobile phones and no tape recorders are allowed inside the compound, this makes it nearly impossible for detainees to tell their stories. One individual I spoke to said he had been living at Villawood for 6 years with no news on his case. This fear of the unknown is probably the hardest aspect of detention and one which could be prevented.

On the 1st August 2006 Immigration Minister Amanda Vanstone announced a new accommodation wing at Villawood’s detention centre. The new wing provides inmates with a home environment that includes 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and 2 lounge rooms equipped with various modern appliances. This is another example of the Government’s failure to address real issues for detainees. What good is a wide screen television when you have no freedom and have no idea what will happen to you tomorrow?

I guess the most important part of visiting the detainees was that it created a sense of normality for the people inside. It also gave me insight into the horrendous conditions that detainees are subject to on a daily basis. How can a place like this exist an hour out of the CBD? I find it really hard to feel proud of a country that treats human beings so cruelly.

The people I met that day were really appreciative that I had taken the time to come. I didn’t always know the right things to say but I am glad that I got a chance to show them that I cared.

How do I know this?

AAP, ‘New detention centre 'better' than home’, The Age, 1 August, http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/new-detenti...