Riot breaks out at Australian immigration detention centre after alleged suicide attempt

‘The fire brigade did not turn up for almost two hours and today as a punitive action, they are withholding medications. The centre remains in lockdown’

Detainees set parts of Yongah Hill immigration detention centre alight amid ongoing concerns over their welfare and status, following the alleged attempted suicide of an inmate. (For Love and Freedom/Twitter)

Protests and fires broke out at a west Australian detention centre amid rising tensions after a detainee allegedly attempted to take their own life.

Detainees are angry with the apparent failure of the authorities to properly attend to health concerns.

There are also wider, long standing grievances over the indefinite nature of detention, while the centre clinic does not operate during evenings or at weekends at the Yongah Hill immigration detention centre.

Drinking water was temporarily turned off in an apparent form of collective punishment, according to a detainee, in claims not denied by the Australian Border Force (ABF).

It did, however, deny that medication had been withheld from prisoners, another accusation that a detainee made.

Footage posted to social media appeared to show taps not functioning, following the eruption of disorder which came as the man, believed to be a 22-year-old Iraqi, was flown to Royal Perth hospital in a critical condition on Sunday evening.

The ABF said he was receiving “appropriate medical care” but did not disclose any further details about his condition.

One detainee told The Independent that the indefinite, arbitrary nature of detention, the forced separation of families and an alleged institutional culture of complaints being ignored had contributed to a febrile atmosphere within the centre.

“The straw which broke the camel’s back was the attempted suicide of a detainee,” said Rozay, a Pakistani national who has been detained for two years after living in Melbourne since 2007, and who documented the chaos under the handle @ForLovenFreedom.

He alleged that Serco officers, the private company that operates the centre, have been continually racist and abusive to detainees and that people rioted in response to their treatment.

“The fire brigade did not turn up for almost two hours and today as a punitive action, they are withholding medications,” he said, the latter claim denied by the ABF. The drinking water was also cut off for hours, Rozay added. “The centre remains in lockdown.”

Australian activists condemned the authorities’ actions and said the man did not receive the assistance he needed.

“This is a shocking story,” said Ian Rintoul, from the Refugee Action Coalition. “There was more than warning. He should not have been in Yongah Hill. He needed mental health assistance, and got nothing. He is a victim of neglect.”

A 2017 review by the Human Rights Commission of conditions at Yongah Hill reported a “significant level of concern about the standard of physical healthcare provided at the YHIDC and the impact of detention on mental health”.

It noted the centre’s clinic was “well-equipped” but only operated between 9am-5pm, Monday to Friday, while psychiatric services were primarily delivered remotely.

Facility staff said the limited range of services and limited hours “could place significant pressure on staff, who support a large number of people with complex and chronic health conditions”.

An ABF spokesperson said: “The disturbance by a small number of detainees at Yongah Hill IDC ended early this morning and emergency services have left the scene.

“We are committed to ensuring the safety of those in immigration detention and will not tolerate violent and aggressive behaviour within IDCs. A crime scene has been established and criminal charges will be considered against those individuals identified as being involved in the incident.

“Detainees are being provided their prescribed medication. The health and welfare of detainees is paramount.”

They added that the incident on Sunday was resolved without injury to staff or detainees.

Serco has been contacted for comment.

If you have been affected by this story, you can contact the following organisations for support:

Samaritans 08457 90 90 90 (UK) 1850 60 90 90 (ROI);

Suicide Call Back Service 1300 659 467 (AUS)