Other offenders include those convicted for abduction (12), disturbance and affray (26), dishonesty and property offences (111), escaping from immigration detention (eight) and crimes involving illegal drugs (66). A further 22 detainees were found guilty without a conviction being recorded. The figures relate to Australian immigration detention centres including Christmas Island, but not Nauru or Manus Island. The government has introduced a bill to give security guards in detention centres more power to cause grievous bodily harm if they "reasonably believe" it is necessary to protect life or prevent injury. It says the legislation is necessary because of the increasing presence of "high-risk detainees", such as members of outlaw bikie gangs, which is seen as a threat to the security of centres. Refugee Action Coalition co-ordinator Ian Rintoul said most of the criminals were people from countries such as New Zealand, Canada and Britain whose visas had been cancelled under section 501 of the Migration Act for committing a criminal offence.

"We've always had a concern ... about the mixing of the so-called criminal deportees with asylum seekers They are two very different groupings of people and they have very different circumstances," he said. "Keeping them [together] has given rise to quite serious problems, like serious assaults." The ABC reported in February that the Yongah Hill immigration detention centre in Western Australia was half-filled with convicted criminals facing deportation and visa overstayers, leaving some asylum seekers "scared" to come out of their rooms. Detainees told the ABC the centre had become more prison-like, and they did not feel safe mixing with potentially violent criminals. Mr Rintoul claimed a serious assault by a convicted criminal at Villawood detention centre in Sydney left an Afghan asylum seeker with partial use of his arm.

The Australian Border Force said in a statement on Thursday the incident occurred in 2012 and the offender was convicted. Mr Rintoul said violent detainees often intimidated asylum seekers to get access to cigarettes and television. Asylum Seeker Resource Centre spokeswoman Mary Fall said the criminals were not usually seeking asylum, and threatened the wellbeing of vulnerable detainees. "Asylum seekers have dealt with persecution and trauma in their own country and are in detention here, which is causing mental health issues … and now convicted criminals are being put in detention [alongside them]," she said. "I don't think it is appropriate." The immigration figures were released in a response to a question by Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young.

The department told the Senate inquiry that it took the safety and security of immigration detention facilities seriously. "Placement risk assessments consider an individual's known criminal history when making decisions in relation to the safety of the detainee and others," it said. The Australian Border Force on Thursday said claims it did not seek to make detention centres safe were "mischievous and offensive". It said high-risk detainees are transferred between detention facilities to reduce the risk and the ABF applies "the full force of the law to anyone disrupting the safety and security of the detention network". Immigration Minister Peter Dutton declined to comment.

A spokeswoman for Ms Hanson-Young said the government used the presence of criminals in detention to justify "laws that allow guards to brutalise anyone in the camps. This includes women and children". "We've seen evidence that guards have sexually abused women and children, and now we learn that vulnerable people with no criminal record are also having to live alongside convicted criminals, some who have a history of extreme violence, rape, assault and homicide," she said. "This is an incredibly unsafe, horrific situation." Independent senator John Madigan has proposed an amendment to the government's bill on the use of force by detention centre guards. It would require asylum seekers and those awaiting deportation on character grounds to be detained separately.

"Common decency requires we treat [asylum seekers] with humanity. Housing them with convicted criminals does not meet this standard," he said. Follow us on Twitter