Iranian asylum seeker Hamed Shamshiripour was found dead in a forest near the East Lorengau transit centre on Manus Island. Shamshiripour had suffered mental health crises in the Australian-run detention system for over a year, with fellow refugees and asylum seekers making formal and urgent requests for his medical treatment. The reported cause of Shamshiripour’s death, suicide, was challenged by refugees and asylum seekers on the island, and his family requested an independent autopsy and inquest into the circumstances surrounding the death.
Immigration minister Peter Dutton put forward amendments to the secrecy and disclosure provisions in the Australian Border Force Act 2015 (Cth). The provisions initially included the imposition of criminal liability on employees, former employees, contractors and consultants who disclosed any ‘protected information’ in connection with detention centres. They will now apply only to information that could compromise Australia's security, defence or international relations, interfere with the investigation of offences, or impact sensitive personal and commercial matters.
An Iraqi man known as Saeed was deported after 4 years in Australia’s detention system. Saeed, whose brother has been granted asylum, was deported overnight with no notice to his lawyer, Alison Battisson.