2013-2014-2015 

 

The Parliament of the 

Commonwealth of Australia 

 

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

 

 

 

 

Presented and read a first time 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Migration Amendment (Maintaining the 

Good Order of Immigration Detention 

Facilities) Bill 2015 

 

No.      , 2015 

 

(Immigration and Border Protection) 

 

 

 

A Bill for an Act to amend the Migration Act 1958, 

and for related purposes 

   

   

 

 

No.      , 2015 

Migration Amendment (Maintaining the Good Order of Immigration 

Detention Facilities) Bill 2015 

i 

 

Contents 

1 

Short title ........................................................................................... 1

 

2 

Commencement ................................................................................. 1

 

3 

Schedules ........................................................................................... 2

 

Schedule 1--Amendments

 

3

 

Migration Act 1958

 

3

 

 

 

 

No.      , 2015 

Migration Amendment (Maintaining the Good Order of Immigration 

Detention Facilities) Bill 2015 

1 

 

A Bill for an Act to amend the Migration Act 1958, 

1 

and for related purposes 

2 

The Parliament of Australia enacts: 

3 

1  Short title 

4 

 

  This Act may be cited as the Migration Amendment (Maintaining 

5 

the Good Order of Immigration Detention Facilities) Act 2015. 

6 

2  Commencement 

7 

 

(1)  Each provision of this Act specified in column 1 of the table 

8 

commences, or is taken to have commenced, in accordance with 

9 

column 2 of the table. Any other statement in column 2 has effect 

10 

according to its terms. 

11 

 

12 

   

   

 

 

2 

Migration Amendment (Maintaining the Good Order of Immigration 

Detention Facilities) Bill 2015 

No.      , 2015 

 

Commencement information 

Column 1 

Column 2 

Column 3 

Provisions 

Commencement 

Date/Details 

1.  Sections 1 to 3 

and anything in 

this Act not 

elsewhere covered 

by this table 

The day this Act receives the Royal Assent. 

 

2.  Schedule 1 

A single day to be fixed by Proclamation. 

However, if the provisions do not commence 

within the period of 6 months beginning on 

the day this Act receives the Royal Assent, 

they commence on the day after the end of 

that period. 

 

Note:  

This table relates only to the provisions of this Act as originally 

1 

enacted. It will not be amended to deal with any later amendments of 

2 

this Act. 

3 

 

(2)  Any information in column 3 of the table is not part of this Act. 

4 

Information may be inserted in this column, or information in it 

5 

may be edited, in any published version of this Act. 

6 

3  Schedules 

7 

 

  Legislation that is specified in a Schedule to this Act is amended or 

8 

repealed as set out in the applicable items in the Schedule 

9 

concerned, and any other item in a Schedule to this Act has effect 

10 

according to its terms. 

11 

Amendments  Schedule 1 

   

 

 

No.      , 2015 

Migration Amendment (Maintaining the Good Order of Immigration 

Detention Facilities) Bill 2015 

3 

 

Schedule 1

--Amendments 

1 

   

2 

Migration Act 1958 

3 

1  Subsection 5(1) (note at the end of the definition of 

4 

authorised officer) 

5 

Omit "Note", substitute "Note 1". 

6 

2  Subsection 5(1) (at the end of the definition of authorised 

7 

officer) 

8 

Add: 

9 

Note 2: 

An officer must not be authorised for the purposes of section 197BA 

10 

unless the officer satisfies the training and qualification requirements 

11 

determined under subsection 197BA(7): see subsection 197BA(6). 

12 

3  Subsection 5(1) 

13 

Insert: 

14 

immigration detention facility has the meaning given by 

15 

subsection 197BA(3). 

16 

4  At the end of Part 1 

17 

Add: 

18 

12A  Use of force provisions do not limit or affect each other 

19 

 

  The provisions of this Act and the regulations that authorise 

20 

(whether expressly or otherwise) the use of force: 

21 

 

(a)  operate independently of each other; and 

22 

 

(b)  do not limit, or in any way otherwise affect, each other. 

23 

5  After Division 7A of Part 2 

24 

Insert: 

25 

Schedule 1  Amendments 

   

 

 

4 

Migration Amendment (Maintaining the Good Order of Immigration 

Detention Facilities) Bill 2015 

No.      , 2015 

 

Division 7B--Immigration detention facilities 

1 

197BA  Maintaining the good order etc. of immigration detention 

2 

facilities 

3 

 

(1)  An authorised officer may use such reasonable force against any 

4 

person or thing, as the authorised officer reasonably believes is 

5 

necessary, to: 

6 

 

(a)  protect the life, health or safety of any person (including the 

7 

authorised officer) in an immigration detention facility; or 

8 

 

(b)  maintain the good order, peace or security of an immigration 

9 

detention facility. 

10 

 

(2)  Without limiting subsection (1), an authorised officer may use such 

11 

reasonable force as the authorised officer reasonably believes is 

12 

necessary under that subsection: 

13 

 

(a)  to protect a person (including the authorised officer) in an 

14 

immigration detention facility from harm or a threat of harm; 

15 

or 

16 

 

(b)  to protect a detainee in an immigration detention facility from 

17 

self-harm or a threat of self-harm; or 

18 

 

(c)  to prevent the escape of a detainee from an immigration 

19 

detention facility; or 

20 

 

(d)  to prevent a person from damaging, destroying or interfering 

21 

with property in an immigration detention facility; or 

22 

 

(e)  to move a detainee within an immigration detention facility; 

23 

or 

24 

 

(f)  to prevent action in an immigration detention facility by any 

25 

person that: 

26 

 

(i)  endangers the life, health or safety of any person 

27 

(including the authorised officer) in the facility; or 

28 

 

(ii)  disturbs the good order, peace or security of the facility. 

29 

Immigration detention facility 

30 

 

(3)  An immigration detention facility is: 

31 

 

(a)  a detention centre established under this Act; or 

32 

 

(b)  a place approved by the Minister under subparagraph (b)(v) 

33 

of the definition of immigration detention in subsection 5(1). 

34 

Amendments  Schedule 1 

   

 

 

No.      , 2015 

Migration Amendment (Maintaining the Good Order of Immigration 

Detention Facilities) Bill 2015 

5 

 

Limitations on the exercise of power 

1 

 

(4)  An authorised officer must not exercise the power under 

2 

subsection (1) to give nourishment or fluids to a detainee in an 

3 

immigration detention facility. 

4 

 

(5)  In exercising the power under subsection (1), an authorised officer 

5 

must not: 

6 

 

(a)  subject a person to greater indignity than the authorised 

7 

officer reasonably believes is necessary in the circumstances; 

8 

or 

9 

 

(b)  do anything likely to cause a person grievous bodily harm 

10 

unless the authorised officer reasonably believes that doing 

11 

the thing is necessary to protect the life of, or to prevent 

12 

serious injury to, another person (including the authorised 

13 

officer). 

14 

Training and qualification requirements 

15 

 

(6)  An officer must not be authorised for the purposes of this section 

16 

unless the officer satisfies the training and qualification 

17 

requirements determined under subsection (7). 

18 

Note: 

For the authorisation of officers see the definition of authorised 

19 

officer in subsection 5(1). 

20 

 

(7)  The Minister must determine, in writing, training and qualification 

21 

requirements for the purposes of this section. 

22 

 

(8)  A determination under subsection (7) is not a legislative 

23 

instrument. 

24 

Effect of this section 

25 

 

(9)  This section does not limit subsection 273(2). 

26 

Note: 

Subsection 273(2) allows regulations to be made in relation to the 

27 

operation and regulation of detention centres. 

28 

197BB  Complaints 

29 

 

(1)  A person may complain to the Secretary about an authorised 

30 

officer's exercise of power under section 197BA. 

31 

Schedule 1  Amendments 

   

 

 

6 

Migration Amendment (Maintaining the Good Order of Immigration 

Detention Facilities) Bill 2015 

No.      , 2015 

 

 

(2)  A complaint must: 

1 

 

(a)  be in writing; and 

2 

 

(b)  be signed by the complainant; and 

3 

 

(c)  describe the matter complained about. 

4 

 

(3)  The Secretary must provide appropriate assistance to a person who: 

5 

 

(a)  wishes to make a complaint; and 

6 

 

(b)  requires assistance to formulate the complaint. 

7 

 

(4)  The Secretary must notify the complainant in writing of the receipt 

8 

of the complaint. 

9 

197BC  Investigation of complaints 

10 

 

(1)  Subject to sections 197BD and 197BE, the Secretary must 

11 

investigate a complaint made under section 197BB. 

12 

 

(2)  The investigation is to be conducted in any way the Secretary 

13 

thinks appropriate. 

14 

 

(3)  If, after completing the investigation, the Secretary is satisfied that 

15 

it is appropriate to refer the complaint to the Ombudsman, the 

16 

Secretary must: 

17 

 

(a)  refer the complaint to the Ombudsman; and 

18 

 

(b)  notify the complainant in writing that the complaint has been 

19 

so referred; and 

20 

 

(c)  give the Ombudsman any information or documents that 

21 

relate to the complaint and that are in the Secretary's 

22 

possession or under the Secretary's control. 

23 

 

(4)  A complaint referred to the Ombudsman under subsection (3) is 

24 

taken to be a complaint to the Ombudsman under the Ombudsman 

25 

Act 1976. 

26 

197BD  Secretary may decide not to investigate a complaint 

27 

 

(1)  The Secretary may decide not to investigate, or not to investigate 

28 

further, a complaint made under section 197BB, if the Secretary is 

29 

satisfied that: 

30 

Amendments  Schedule 1 

   

 

 

No.      , 2015 

Migration Amendment (Maintaining the Good Order of Immigration 

Detention Facilities) Bill 2015 

7 

 

 

(a)  the complainant has previously made the same, or a 

1 

substantially similar, complaint to the Secretary and the 

2 

Secretary: 

3 

 

(i)  has dealt, or is dealing, adequately, with the complaint; 

4 

or 

5 

 

(ii)  has not yet had an adequate opportunity to deal with the 

6 

complaint; or 

7 

 

(b)  the complaint is frivolous, vexatious, misconceived, lacking 

8 

in substance or is not made in good faith; or 

9 

 

(c)  the complainant does not have sufficient interest in the 

10 

subject matter of the complaint; or 

11 

 

(d)  the investigation, or any further investigation, is not justified 

12 

in all the circumstances. 

13 

 

(2)  The Secretary must notify the complainant in writing if the 

14 

Secretary decides not to investigate the complaint, or not to 

15 

investigate it further. The notice must include the reasons for the 

16 

decision. 

17 

197BE  Transfer of complaint 

18 

 

(1)  If the Secretary is satisfied that a complaint could be more 

19 

conveniently or effectively dealt with by any of the following 

20 

persons (the transferee): 

21 

 

(a)  the Ombudsman; 

22 

 

(b)  the Commissioner of the Australian Federal Police; 

23 

 

(c)  the Commissioner or head (however described) of the police 

24 

force of a State or Territory; 

25 

the Secretary may decide not to investigate the complaint, or not to 

26 

investigate it further. 

27 

 

(2)  If the Secretary decides as mentioned in subsection (1), the 

28 

Secretary must: 

29 

 

(a)  transfer the complaint to the transferee; and 

30 

 

(b)  notify the complainant in writing that the complaint has been 

31 

so transferred; and 

32 

 

(c)  give the transferee any information or documents that relate 

33 

to the complaint and that are in the Secretary's possession or 

34 

under the Secretary's control. 

35 

Schedule 1  Amendments 

   

 

 

8 

Migration Amendment (Maintaining the Good Order of Immigration 

Detention Facilities) Bill 2015 

No.      , 2015 

 

 

(3)  A complaint transferred to the Ombudsman under subsection (2) is 

1 

taken to be a complaint to the Ombudsman under the Ombudsman 

2 

Act 1976. 

3 

197BF  Bar on proceedings relating to immigration detention 

4 

facilities 

5 

 

(1)  No proceedings may be instituted or continued in any court against 

6 

the Commonwealth in relation to an exercise of power under 

7 

section 197BA if the power was exercised in good faith. 

8 

 

(2)  This section has effect despite anything else in this Act or any 

9 

other law. 

10 

 

(3)  Nothing in this section is intended to affect the jurisdiction of the 

11 

High Court under section 75 of the Constitution. 

12 

 

(4)  In this section: 

13 

Commonwealth includes: 

14 

 

(a)  an officer of the Commonwealth; and 

15 

 

(b)  any other person acting on behalf of the Commonwealth. 

16 

197BG  Saving of other laws 

17 

 

  This Division is not intended to exclude or limit the operation of 

18 

any other law of the Commonwealth or any law of a State or 

19 

Territory that is capable of operating concurrently with this 

20 

Division. 

21