Submission to the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability – Experiences of people with disability in immigration detention

PIAC’s Asylum Seeker Rights project made a submission to the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability to bring attention to the experiences of people with disability in immigration detention.

This submission is primarily based on our clients’ experiences of onshore immigration detention. It focuses on two areas in Australia’s national system of onshore immigration detention which have specific consequences for people with disability: access to healthcare and the overuse of restraints, including handcuffs.

Our submission highlights the need to for publicly available data and information about the experience of people with disability in Australian onshore immigration detention, so that the rights of those people can be protected.

Our additional recommendations include: regular reviews of the detention of people with disability, to actively explore options for release; legislative provision for a minimum standard of healthcare in immigration detention; prioritisation of assessment of and medical treatment for people with disability in immigration detention; review of available mental health care in immigration detention, to ensure it reflects the unique and complex needs of the population, including the needs of people with disability; and an end to indefinite detention.