Prolonged detention of children, insufficient staffing and hazardous damage to buildings are among the ombudsman’s concerns.
The Commonwealth Ombudsman, Iain Anderson, said conditions at Villawood represented a “failure to provide a level of services that meet minimum standards of safety, care and support”.
“The issues observed at the Villawood Immigration Detention Centre require urgent remedial action to ensure the safety of people in detention, staff and to maintain the good order of the facility. If unaddressed, there is a risk of further deterioration in conditions and increased harm to people in detention and staff, potentially including serious injury and loss of life.”