Detainees on hunger strike over visitor restrictions

More than 200 detainees at detention centres in Villawood in Sydney and Maribyrnong in Melbourne, were on hunger strike for five days from January 15–19 in protest at visitor restrictions announced by Border Force.

Beginning January 22, visitors will have to give five days’ notice of any visit and fill in a five-page form, with actual visits restricted to one-on-one.

Visitors will be required to provide 100 points of identification.

These restrictions come after moves to restrict what food can be brought into the detention centre, the attempt to ban mobile phones and restrictions on the amount of property a detainee may own.

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