Internal documents show that a fresh wave of stabbings, drug overdoses, and fires inside Australia's onshore immigration detention facilities has likely placed the federal government in violation of workplace safety laws designed to safeguard staff and detainees. The scrutiny follows the late 2024 awarding of a multi-billion-dollar detention contract to Management and Training Corporation, a US private prison operator known for holding ICE detainees under Donald Trump, operating locally through its subsidiary Secure Journeys.
Despite federal efforts to pressure the company through financial penalties and high-level meetings involving Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke, official records indicate that serious security breakdowns have persisted. These include a sequence of eight fire-related incidents at the Villawood immigration detention centre alongside persistent violence and drug prevalence at the Melbourne immigration detention facility, drawing intervention from the federal work safety regulator, Comcare.
Files detail multiple instances of aggression, illicit substances, and improvised weaponry at the Melbourne facility since August. A violent clash between two factions on August 18 resulted in six individuals being sent to the hospital with slashing and stabbing wounds inflicted by makeshift weapons. Furthermore, an opioid overdose on September 10 required staff to revive a detainee using Naloxone.
These events led Comcare to caution the government that it was failing to control escalating safety hazards across the network, placing it in potential breach of the Work Health and Safety Act. The regulator noted that existing control measures failed to adequately mitigate risks associated with violence, aggression, and contraband, posing an ongoing threat of severe harm.
A separate regulatory document outlined eight fire incidents at the Villawood centre between February and May, following earlier warnings regarding emergency preparedness. An incident on September 23 saw staff enter a burning room without proper safety gear to rescue a detainee, resulting in two workers being hospitalized. Comcare concluded that the department neglected to perform systematic reviews of fire and smoke safety protocols despite repeated regulatory warnings.
Union representatives highlighted that the notices underscore ongoing dangers and the operating company's inability to resolve core issues. Labor advocates point to chronic understaffing as a primary driver of the instability, emphasizing that ultimate legal accountability rests with the department to enforce operational standards. A spokesperson for Secure Journeys maintained that the organization prioritizes safe operations and the welfare of both employees and detainees, while the Australian Border Force has been approached for comment.