Restriction of Visits to One-on-One only at MITA detention centre

Karl Palmer made this Freedom of Information request to Department of Home Affairs

This request has been closed to new correspondence from the public body. Contact us if you think it ought be re-opened.

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The request was partially successful.

Dear Department of Immigration and Border Protection,

This is an application under the FOI Act.

I am seeking any documents (reports, minutes of meetings, emails, notes and the like) that include information on the new restriction limiting visits at the MITA detention centre in Broadmeadows, Victoria, to (in general) one detainee per visitor. (The new regulation is said to apply as of February 2018; the current limit is five.)

In particular, I am seeking documents that shed light on the rationale behind the change, and on the planning of its implementation.

Yours faithfully,

Karl Palmer

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References

UNCLASSIFIED

In reply please quote:

FOI Request: FA 18/01/00495

File Number: ADF2018/7189

Dear Mr Palmer

Acknowledgement of Freedom of Information Access request

I refer to your correspondence received on 13 January 2018 seeking access
to documents held by the Department of Home Affairs (the Department) under
the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (the FOI Act).

Please note that on 20 December 2017 the Home Affairs Portfolio, including
the Department of Home Affairs, was formally established. For the
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entirety of the Department of Immigration and Border Protection, the
Australian Border Force and the Office of Transport Security from within
the Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development. It also
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Department of Social Services and the Department of the Prime Minister and
Cabinet.

A request for access to documents held by the Department of Home Affairs
will be limited to documents held by the Department, and will not include
documents held by other agencies within the wider Home Affairs portfolio,
which remain separate agencies for the purposes of the FOI Act.

You have requested access to the following:

any documents (reports, minutes of meetings, emails, notes and the like)
that include information on the new restriction limiting visits at the
MITA detention centre in Broadmeadows, Victoria, to (in general) one
detainee per visitor. (The new regulation is said to apply as of February
2018; the current limit is five.)

In particular, I am seeking documents that shed light on the rationale
behind the change, and on the planning of its implementation.

Your request was received by the Department on 13 January 2018 and has
been allocated FOI request number FA 18/01/00495. Please include your FOI
request number in all correspondence with the Freedom of Information
Section.

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FOI Officer | Freedom of Information Section

FOI, Privacy and Records Management Branch

Corporate Services Division

Department of Home Affairs

UNCLASSIFIED

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Dear FOI,

It appears you have not managed to comply with my FOI request (re the change in policy regarding group visits to immigration detention centres) within the period specified by the law.

Is there a particular problem holding up this inquiry?

Yours sincerely,

Karl Palmer

UNCLASSIFIED
Good afternoon

Thank you for your email enquiring about the progress of your FOI request.

Please be advised that the Department is currently processing a large number of FOI requests. Our staff are working hard and the Department is committed to processing your request as quickly as possible. A decision on access will be made on your request and you will be notified of this as soon as possible.

With kind regards
Freedom of Information Section
FOI, Privacy and Records Management Branch
Corporate Division
Department of Home Affairs
E: [DIBP request email]

UNCLASSIFIED

show quoted sections

Dear FOI,

Thank you for your prompt response to my query about the passing of the FOI due date. I can well understand that an agency like the ABF will be attracting many inquiries.

Can you clarify for me, is the cut-off date for such materials as you may decide to provide me with the day I lodged the FOI, or some later point? I am assuming the former, but I'm not sure.

I am asking because the ABF's move to limit group visits with people it detains is not a historical matter but is still underway and evolving.

If in fact it is the case that an FOI can only cover materials prior to the date of its submission, can you advise what is the best course of action for seeking access to more recent documents on the policy? Do I need to submit another FOI on the topic—all but identical but with a new date range? Or is there some other mechanism for seeking a supplemental time range that might simplify the task for you and avoid unnecessary duplication?

I will be grateful for any guidance you can provide.

Yours sincerely,

Karl Palmer

Dear FOI,

It is now over six weeks since the lodging of my FOI request.

You were kind enough to inform me earlier that you were hard at work and would be providing me with a response "as soon as possible."

Can you give me a sense of what sort of time frame is likely in this case? Is it a matter of days, weeks or months?

Yours sincerely,

Karl Palmer

Dear Department of Immigration and Border Protection,

Please pass this on to the person who conducts Freedom of Information reviews.

I am writing to request an internal review of Department of Immigration and Border Protection's handling of my FOI request 'Restriction of Visits to One-on-One only at MITA detention centre'.

This FOI is now three weeks overdue. As it concerns an active and evolving matter, getting a prompt response within the timeframe set by the law is of some importance.

My last two queries on how long the FOI was likely to take have not received a reply.

A full history of my FOI request and all correspondence is available on the Internet at this address: https://www.righttoknow.org.au/request/r...

Yours faithfully,

Karl Palmer

** This is an automated response. Please do not reply to this email **

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

If your email is a valid FOI request, the Department will contact you
shortly to acknowledge your request. Please do not send duplicate emails
as this may cause delays in processing times.

For matters not relating to the Freedom of Information Act 1982, please
refer to the information below to assist in the resolution of your
enquiry.

General information regarding travelling to Australia

Information for visitors to Australia can be found [1]here.

Information regarding potential visa options can be found [2]here.

Request for a copy of your Visa Refusal or Visa Grant letter

Details of our offices located around the world can be found [3]here.

Queries regarding your current Visa status

Refund of Visa fees

Making a Visa application

Australian Citizenship

Information on how to apply for Australian citizenship, information for
Australian citizens and Australian Citizenship Day can be found [8]here.

Movement Records/Travel History

Superannuation – Evidence of Immigration Status

Update Passport Details

Information on how to update your address or passport details can be found
[11]here.

Notification of Change in Circumstances

Notification of incorrect answers

If you wish to correct answers that you have provided to the Department
either:

· in a visa application

· on a passenger card or

· in response to a notice given to you by the Department inviting
you to comment on possible non-compliance with an obligation to correct
incorrect information

You should submit [14]Form 1023 to the Department. Details of our offices
located around the world can be found [15]here. The FOI Section does not
process these forms.

Duty Free concessions

Information relating to duty free concessions can be found [16]here.

General Enquiries

Thank you

Information updated 8 January 2018

Unsolicited commercial emails MUST NOT be sent to the originator of this
email.

References

FA180100495 decision record.pdf

142K Download View as HTML
FA180100495 documents released.pdf

87K Download View as HTML

UNCLASSIFIED

Our references: FA 18/01/00495; ADF2018/7189

Dear Mr Palmer

I refer to your FOI request received on 13 January 2018 seeking access to the following:

Any documents (reports, minutes of meetings, emails, notes and the like) that include information on the new restriction limiting visits at the MITA detention centre in Broadmeadows, Victoria, to (in general) one detainee per visitor. (The new regulation is said to apply as of February 2018; the current limit is five.) In particular, I am seeking documents that shed light on the rationale behind the change, and on the planning of its implementation.

The Department has made a decision on this request. Please see attached the decision record and document released under the FOI Act.

This request has now been closed.

Yours sincerely

FOI Officer
Freedom of Information Section
FOI, Privacy and Records Management Branch
Corporate Services Division
Department of Home Affairs
E: [DIBP request email]

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Restriction of Visits to One-on-One only at MITA detention centre

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