New Zealand MP Kelvin Davis had a ‘highly emotional’ visit with detainees on Friday, gaining access to the centre after a week waiting on the island

This article is more than 4 years old

This article is more than 4 years old

New Zealand detainees on Christmas Island are so angry, hungry and traumatised they are allegedly considering rioting.



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Labour MP Kelvin Davis had a five-hour “highly emotional” visit with detainees on Friday, gaining access to the centre after a week waiting on the island.



About 40 detainees are being held while they wait to be sent back to New Zealand under Australia’s immigration policy that came into effect in December.



Anyone who is not an Australian citizen and who has served a prison sentence of 12 months or more can be deported, potentially affecting about 1,000 New Zealanders.



Davis said the detainees are so desperate to return to their Australian homes, they are considering rioting.



“These New Zealand born Australians are not murderers or rapists. They have served their time yet Australian authorities are treating them as though they are a terrorism threat.”



None of the eight detainees Davis met wanted to return to New Zealand to settle their visa applications, as the Australian government has proposed.



“They think its a trick designed to prevent them from returning to their families and jobs in Australia,” he said.



On arrival at the centre, Davis said he was drug tested and escorted into an airless room where detainees were brought in two at a time for 30 minutes.



He said he took in birthday chocolates for detainee Ricardo Young but the authorities could not decide if he should be allowed them.