There are millions of things that are wrong about immigration detention. The Detention Forum believes that these three fundamental changes to the system are absolute priority. They are:
- A time limit on detention
- Ending the detention of vulnerable people
- Improving judicial oversight of detention
We also believe that more people and groups must start talking openly about detention, rather than avoiding it as a difficult and unpopular issue. We need to remember that many people in detention find it difficult to speak out. Groups who work with these people have a duty to help people speak out when they wish to do so as well as speak out themselves. We are working to build the voice that demands change.
Finally, we believe that people should spend their time in their communities rather than in detention while going through the immigration system. We need to develop more ideas on the community model so that we can dissuade the the government from using detention.