Fed: Refugee advocacy group says Woomera had to be scaled down

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Fed: Refugee advocacy group says Woomera had to be scaled down

CANBERRA, April 11 AAP - The federal government had no choice but to scale down Woomerabecause everything associated with the detention centre was stained, a refugee advocacygroup said today.

Independent Committee for Refugee Advocacy president Marion Le said the governmenthad realised the troubles at the detention centre were irreparable and she hoped it wouldeventually be closed.

Immigration Minister Philip Ruddock today announced plans to mothball the Curtin detentioncentre in remote Western Australia and scale down Woomera in South Australia.

"I welcome the closure of Curtin, I think it's something that should never have beenopened as a long term detention centre," Ms Le said.

"It's too far away and too difficult for people to get the right kind of advice andaccess and it's also extremely expensive.

"It's very remoteness is something to be deplored.

"The Woomera one, I think they've (the government) come to recognise the situationthere has gotten out of hand and scaling it back is a pragmatic response to the situationthat has evolved there.

"I don't think they can actually fix Woomera now because it has got now that terriblename and everyone associated with it carries that stench with them."

Ms Le called on the government to open a detention centre in Darwin and said therewas no logical behind the Baxter centre being built near Port Augusta in South Australia.

"It's much more sensible to open a detention centre in Darwin where most of the unauthorisedarrivals of the asylum seekers have sought entry," she said.

"I don't know why they've chosen to build one at Baxter."

Mr Ruddock said the Woomera scale-back would result in its capacity being dropped from2,000 to 800.

He said another detention centre on Christmas Island would increase to 400 places byJuly and about 1,000 by the end of the year.

AAP sm/daw/cjh/sb

KEYWORD: DETENTION ADVOCATE