AAP November 15, 2010
AN investigation will be held into a brawl involving about 50 unaccompanied Afghan asylum-seeker boys at a Melbourne immigration detention centre.
Department of Immigration spokesman Sandi Logan said the boys were unaccompanied minors and were yesterday involved in “a number of separate scuffles in the dining room” of the Melbourne Immigration Transit Accommodation centre in Broadmeadows, in Melbourne’s west.
The brawl erupted after 98 unaccompanied minors were transferred from Australia’s Christmas Island detention centre to the Melbourne centre over the weekend.
Seven of the boys, aged about 15-18, were taken to hospital, most with cuts and bruises and one with a possibly fractured nose.
One boy remains in hospital, with the rest having been returned to the detention centre.
Mr Logan said furniture and windows in the dining room were also damaged during the brawl, which broke out before 8pm, but no staff were injured.
“Victoria Police were called and assisted to restore order in about 30 minutes, with the individuals returned to their rooms,” Mr Logan said.
“The centre is now calm and has been since last night.”
A department spokesman said there were currently 136 people being held at the centre.
Mr Logan said detention services providers would investigate the incident and provide a full report.
AAP
Najeeba wazefadost
its just very sad and depressing to hear that what detention centres can do and how sever it can damage young children pschologically and emotionally. they escape from the barbarism of country and then take the risk of drowning and deprivation at sea and then coming and dealing with Detention Centre’s poilcy in australia, there is no doubt that everyone, specially children go psycho and mentally depressed.