The government has reclassified sections of detention centres as “community detention” in order to be able to claim that all children have been released from immigration detention.
At least 196 asylum seekers granted community detention after protests
The immigration minister, Peter Dutton, announced on Sunday there were no children left in detention, but a source within his department told the Guardian the “release” was “more bureaucratic sleight of hand than emancipation”.
As an example, families with children in “held detention” in the “family compound” of Villawood detention centre were told by letter on Friday that their detention was now classified as “community detention”.
They have been “released” from detention without moving.