A RIOT has broken out at Yongah Hill Immigration Detention Centre in Northam after a 22-year-old Iraqi asylum seeker self harmed and was taken to hospital in a critical condition.
The man was found in his cell at the centre outside Perth around 5.30pm on Sunday, according to the Refugee Action Coalition.
“WA police say that the man is still alive, but it is understood that his condition is critical,” spokesman Ian Rintoul said in a statement on Monday.
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READ NOW“He should not have been in Yongah Hill.
“He needed mental health assistance, and got nothing. He is a victim of neglect.”
Mr Rintoul said the man, who has a “history of mental distress”, had been transferred to Yongah Hill from Villawood a couple of months ago.
An Australian Border Force spokesperson said they could not comment on individual cases, but confirmed a detainee was taken to hospital on Sunday and was “receiving appropriate medical care”.
The spokesperson also confirmed there had been a “disturbance” by a small number of detainees and some accommodation areas were damaged.
“All detainees and staff are safe and accounted for and there have been no reported injuries,” the spokesperson said.
“A full assessment of the damage will be made in due course.”
A number of accommodation units have been set ablaze since the incident and authorities are at the scene.
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