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Christmas Island still has capacity to hold more people

News Clippings AAP, February 02 2010

The detention facility on Christmas Island still has capacity to hold more asylum seekers despite the arrival of another 185 people, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd says.

There are concerns a surge in boat arrivals is stretching the capacity of the centre, forcing authorities to look at alternative centres on the mainland.

“My advice from officials is that there is capacity there,” Mr Rudd told ABC Radio on Tuesday.

A boat carrying 181 suspected asylum seekers and four crew was intercepted off the island on Monday evening by an Australian navy vessel.

It is the ninth asylum seeker boat to arrive this year.

The government had contingency plans to use the purpose-built facility in Darwin, Mr Rudd said.

“Our advice is that Christmas Island remains the best place to accommodate people.”

Senator Steve Fielding, who visited Christmas Island last week, says the facility is “bulging and bursting at the seams”.

“This is only going to get worse before it gets better,” he told reporters in Canberra.

The Family First senator was unrepentant about earlier comments he made likening the facility to a motel where detainees had access to computers, good meals and healthcare.

“We are treating asylum seekers extremely well,” he said on Tuesday, adding they were being offered a residency “gold pass”.

Senator Fielding said he did not want to return to the policies of the previous Howard government but acknowledged they had been a deterrent.

“The rumours got out there that it (wasn’t) worth coming to Australia because they treat you so bad.”