FED:Govt must take control at Villawood: oppn

AAP General News (Australia)
04-21-2011
FED:Govt must take control at Villawood: oppn

SYDNEY, April 21 AAP - The federal government must take control of the situation at
a Sydney detention centre where detainees are on the roof protesting against their incarceration,
the federal opposition says.

Opposition immigration spokesman Scott Morrison on Thursday also repeated calls on
Immigration Minister Chris Bowen to halt the visa process for any asylum seekers involved
in a riot at the Villawood Detention Centre overnight.

Late on Wednesday buildings at the centre were set ablaze and firefighters were pelted
with roof tiles during the riot involving up to 100 detainees.

"This is a government that has crisis after crisis, has no policy response whatsoever
other than the East Timor farce, that we all know will never happen," Mr Morrison told
reporters in Sydney.

"Crimes were committed last night again in Villawood, and the Australian people expect
this government to take control of the detention network."

Mr Morrison said there were provisions under the migration act, such as the character
test, to suspend the asylum claims of those involved in, but not criminally charged over,
the violent actions.

Mr Morrison said he was concerned NSW police were unable to immediately take control
of the situation.

He said he understood police were called at 11.30pm (AEST) on Wednesday, but were unable
to act until 3.30am on Thursday because there was not a clear set of procedures for police
to act where detention centres, which are on commonwealth land, are concerned.

"If they are going to make the call at 11.30pm, then we can't have state police and
helicopters and goodness knows what else sitting around on the public meter, just sitting
and waiting behind the fence, while the situation escalates and the fires continue to
burn," he said.

The Villawood centre sits in a residential area.

Earlier on Thursday, NSW Premier Barry O'Farrell said no agreement currently existed
between the state and federal government about how to deal with situations such as Villawood.

He said he would raise the issue with Prime Minister Julia Gillard.

AAP eb/klm/jnb

KEYWORD: DETAINEE MORRISSON UPDATE

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