Department of Finance - Compensation for immigration detainees

In June 2017, we applied under freedom of information laws for compensation amounts paid out for the 2016-17 financial year in relation to claims made by asylum seekers arising from wrongful detention, personal injury in detention, and by staff/contractors for personal injury, broken down by country in which the facts giving rise to the claim occurred.

We found that, for the 2016-17 policy year:

1. There were two claims reported and accepted for review for wrongful detention in Australia, with a total amount of $69,508.83 incurred by the Department of Finance (the Department) in relation to the management of the claims.
2. There were 11 claims reported and accepted for review for personal injury by asylum seekers/refugees/former asylum seekers/former refugees in Australia, with a total amount of $59,358.41 incurred by the Department in relation to the management of the claims. There was one claim reported and accepted for review in Indonesia, for which the Department has incurred $32,313.31 in relation to management. There were no claims reported or accepted for review in Nauru or PNG.
3. There were seven claims reported and accepted for review for personal injury by immigration detention staff and/or subcontractors for personal injury in Australia, with a total amount of $45,101.99 incurred by the Department in relation to the management of the claims. There were two claims reported and accepted for review to PNG, for which the Department has incurred $24,006.97 in relation to management.

All the above claims were still active as at the date of the Department's decision (5 July 2017).

The document released to us is accessible here.

This document provided an essential update on figures released to us in 2013, which can be accessed here.