Detention centre reopened less than two months ago after parliament passed the medical evacuation law

This article is more than 1 year old

This article is more than 1 year old

The federal government is paying more than 150 security staff and health workers to guard zero detainees on Christmas Island, the home affairs department has confirmed.

It came amid revelations that more than 500 people had resettled in the US and more than half of the remaining offshore refugee and asylum seeker population were currently in Australia.

The Christmas Island detention centre was reopened less than two months ago in reaction to the parliament passing the medical evacuation law and 148 extra staff have been sent to the facility, despite it receiving no detainees.

“Since the passage of the [medevac law] no person from regional processing countries have been transferred there,” the department secretary, Michael Pezzullo, told a Senate estimates hearing on Thursday.

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Pezzullo also confirmed Guardian Australia’s reporting that only one person has been transferred under the new law, but he was sent straight to the Australian mainland because of the high level of medical care needed.

There have been a total of three applications for transfer, but the other two have not yet been actioned, Pezzullo said.

He said the facilities were “otherwise not available … to send detainees there from the mainland”.

Staff sent to the reopened centre included 140 Serco security employees and 14 IHMS health staff.

Guardian Australia understands Serco is advertising internally for mainland employees to take up secondments to Christmas Island, where they would receive free accommodation and about $100 a day on top of their usual pay.

The facility has been in “hot contingency” since late last year, which requires a small staff of about 12 to remain on the island, and an assurance from service providers that it could be up and running again within 72 hours.

It was revealed in this week’s federal budget that the government intended to close the centre by July if it wins the election, angering Christmas Island residents who said it was playing havoc with their fragile economy.

Senator Linda Reynolds told estimates the reopening of Christmas Island served as a “very successful” deterrent because no one had gotten on a boat.

She said it sent a clear message to people smugglers and asylum seekers that “if you do jump on that boat you will go to Christmas Island, you will not come to mainland Australia”.

Running it for that period was costed at $185m over two years in the federal budget papers.

The prime minister, Scott Morrison had previously said it would cost $1.4bn over four years, a figure the government has attributed to national security advice.

The $185m was determined by home affairs in conjunction with the finance department, the estimates hearing was told, and was based on an estimate of the centre receiving 250 people for treatment or transit to the Australian mainland.

The health review panel – legislated as part of the medical evacuation system – has not yet sat. Estimates heard two nominations have been confirmed and signed: the Canberra GP Antonio Di Dio on behalf of the Australian Medical Association, and Prof Susan Maloney for the Royal Australasian College of Physicians. The nomination of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists had been accepted but was not signed as he had outstanding questions about legal liability.

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Guardian Australia reported on Tuesday that around 25 people have been brought to the mainland for treatment, but through the previously existing IHMS-led transfer recommendation process.

There are more refugees and asylum seekers from the offshore processing system in Australia than there are on Manus Island and Nauru.

Of the 4,177 people sent to offshore centres since the system was restarted in 2012, there are 1,868 remaining. However, 953 have been temporarily transferred to Australia for medical treatment or to accompany a family member being treated.

This financial year there have been 461 transfers from Nauru alone - up from 35 the previous year - which includes those brought over after the #kidsoffnauru campaign.

The estimates hearing also heard at least 508 refugees have been resettled in the US under the deal struck between the Australian government and Obama-led US administration.

More were expected to go to the US in coming months, Pezzullo said. The US agreed to take up to 1,250 people under the deal.