The Wire

Refugee issues are increasingly on the agenda as the numbers arriving grow, and protests like the current one at Sydney’s Villawood grab the headlines. According to figures released today by the refugee council of Australia the last year has seen a staggering 1400 per cent in the number of asylum seekers in long term detention. The last week has seen protests in Villawood but also in Curtin detention centre in remote Western Australia where over 1000 asylum seekers are being held. During the Easter break activists travelled 30 hours from Perth to visit the Curtin detainee centre and were denied access.