As Australia’s immigration detention continues moving out of control – over-crowding, mental trauma, privatised and unaccountable care – the British controller of the centres, Serco, is now just trying to shut down debate: The company running Australia’s detention centres is cracking down on guards suspected of talking about what goes on behind the wire. Serco…
Showing all posts tagged Serco
Canberra wants to look tough on refugees while privatised care dehumanises all
It’s a sad sight seeing Immigration Minister Chris Bowen talking about punishing asylum seekers for his own government’s mistakes. Any chance he’d like to examine why so many refugees are suffering prolonged mental trauma under his care? Of course not. With an ongoing protest around Curtin detention centre in Western Australia, activists on the ground…
On Australia’s front-line against privatised detention centres
Good on those brave souls raising the issue of privatised asylum seekers. In a real democracy, we would be able to visit people technically under our care: Protesters have knocked over a fence at the Curtin Detention Centre near Derby [in Western Australia], with as many as 40 defying police orders to stay away from…
Asylum seeker anger explodes across Australia (while Serco ignores humanity)
What do we expect when we treat people like animals to be locked up indefinitely while our too-few-officials manage the problem, often receiving “intelligence” from the very regimes from which people are fleeing? A number of asylum seekers are continuing a hunger strike into a second day at the Curtin detention centre in Western Australia’s…
Serco’s rhetoric and reality in Australia vastly different
I’ve reported over the last months the very difficult situation for staff and refugees at Sydney’s Villawood detention centre due to federal government bungling and Serco mismanagement. The Australian reported my comments today about the latest uprising in Villawood. Welcome to Australia’s dysfunctional (and entirely avoidable) asylum seeker “crisis”. In light of these troubles, it’s…
Australia’s immigration detention abused by Serco and government
This is what Australia currently faces; a system for asylum seekers that simply can’t cope with the inevitable anger, fear and prolonged detention of those fleeing persecution. Mental trauma is rife. British multinational Serco are unwilling to spend the required funds to service human beings but the fault largely lies with the federal government. Privatised…
What happens when you hire Serco to run detention centres; profit before care
As the Australian government is criticised for its detention centre system facing ongoing violence and chaos – the likely response is to be “tougher” on asylum seekers, a wonderfully humane outcome – Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young focuses on the culpability of Serco, the company that’s allowed to escape scrutiny: TONY JONES: Alright. We’ll come to…
Serco’s record on managing human beings far from ideal
While yet another detention centre in Australia, Villawood, run by British multinational Serco, is today facing refugee riots (and what do we expect, locking people up for months if not years? No mental trauma or anger?), earlier this week ABC TV’s 7.30 tackled the role of Serco. The story wasn’t bad (overly focused on under-staffing…
British government more than happy to allow Serco et al into the tent?
What are good friends for? Legal loopholes in the Health and Social Care Bill could leave health services open to exploitation by profiteering outsiders [such as Serco], and to misinterpretation by politicians and interest groups keen to capitalise on its uncertainties, according to independent policy experts. The Bill is permissive, not prescriptive, allowing a variety…
Hands up who trusts Serco with their lives?
Avoid like the plague (which is exactly why governments are increasingly turning to the British multinational): A man allegedly changed details on more than 67,000 speed and red-light camera fines in the computer system of the company which manages the data in Victoria. The tampering did not actually affect any infringement notices as the changes…