In Poor Health: Health care in Australian immigration detention

This report, launched on 13 June 2018, closely examines the health care that is provided to people seeking asylum in on-shore immigration detention – and finds it wanting.

Featuring the stories of five clients of PIAC’s Asylum Seeker Health Rights Project, as well as in-depth legal and policy research, In Poor Health demonstrates that vulnerable people held in immigration detention are being denied access to the vital health services they need.

In this report, PIAC recommends that the Migration Regulations should be amended to provide a legislative minimum standard of healthcare, so that people in held and community detention have access to the same standard of health and mental health services as members of the Australian community.

This should be complemented by a range of measures to ensure this standard of care is delivered in practice, as well as increased independent oversight.

Read the media release here.

Update

After In Poor Health was sent to print, it was reported that the Department of Home Affairs had appointed Dr Parbodh Gogna as the new chief medical officer responsible for the healthcare of people seeking asylum in Australian immigration detention. Based on the Department’s website, it appears this appointment will take effect on 9 July 2018.