Australia mulls downgrading high security at Nauru immigration centre

Australia's immigration minister has said he is happy to consider downgrading the high level of security at the Australian-run Nauru immigration detention center following a highly critical report into alleged abuse at the camp.

"We need to provide people with a dignified setting, we need to provide them with support and we don't tolerate any instances of sexual offenses at all," Minister Peter Dutton said on Tuesday.

An inquiry report of a Senate committee into abuse and conditions at the Australian-run immigration detention centre, released on Monday, made 15 recommendations including moving to an open center.

The 15 recommendations also include mandatory reporting of abuse claims, a full audit of allegations and daily random drug and alcohol tests for staff.

The report was also scathing on Transfield Services' track record on Nauru, saying the center was not run well.

Transfield Services, an Australian listed company, was awarded a five-year contract extension on Monday to operate the country's offshore processing centers in Nauru and on Papua New Guinea's Manus Island.

The Australian government maintains offshore processing of asylum seekers who arrive by boat is a deterrent to people smuggling.

The report also criticized Australia's Department of Immigration, saying it did not have a full knowledge of incidents occurring and the Senate committee was angry it had not been afforded full and transparent access to information from the department.

"The culture of secrecy which surrounds offshore processing only serves to increase the risk of wrongdoing and abuse and contribute to fear among asylum seekers that no-one will protect them, and that misconduct by staff will go unpunished," the report said.

However, Dutton dismissed the report's claims, saying the entire process was a political witch-hunt.

"You'll see in the recommendations the political flavor to them, " Dutton told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

Australian welfare groups on Tuesday called for the abuse claims at Nauru raised in the report to be investigated.

The groups have also taken aim at Transfield's contact extension, saying the operator should be "punished for their poor performance, not rewarded."

Source: XINHUA