Senator Ludwig: The Minister for Immigration and Citizenship has provided the following answer to the honourable senator's question: (1) Section 252 of the Migration Act 1958 provides detention service provider staff and officers of the Department of Immigration and Citizenship the powers to search clients for weapons. This includes powers to search clothing and property. In addition, there are a number of measures and procedures in place to prevent contraband or weapons from being brought into immigration detention facilities. These ensure the department is able to meet its obligations with regard to maintaining the good order of its detention facilities. There are a range of items that are either not permitted or are controlled in detention facilities, such as weapons, illicit drugs and associated paraphernalia, alcohol, flammable sprays, liquids and solids, sharp items, pornographic or offensive material, mobile phones with visual and audio recording devices, and other visual and audio recording devices. All clients and their property are screened before entering immigration detention facilities. Screening may include a client walking through screening equipment, or the passing of hand-held screening equipment over or around the client and the client's possessions, or passing the client's possessions through screening equipment. Any controlled items are stored securely with the client's property and cannot be accessed by the client. All controlled items are returned to the client when the person leaves immigration detention. Illegal items are secured and referred to the police. All mail to people in immigration detention is screened and any item that is regarded as suspicious is opened in the presence of the client. All staff and visitors entering immigration detention facilities are screened via x-ray facilities. Items brought into detention facilities are also screened and controlled items are stored securely. Illegal items are referred to the police. The Migration Act 1958 does not provide detention service provider staff or officers of the Department of Immigration and Citizenship the powers to search a visitor's clothing. (2) Since 1 January 2008, there have been a number of items located in immigration detention facilities that are not permitted. These items may be located upon entry, during routine searches in immigration detention facilities or during other searches that occur from time to time often as a result of information. The table below summarises the detection of items that are not permitted in immigration detention facilities since 1 January 2008. Actions taken by the detention services provider in relation to items located in immigration detention facilities that are not permitted are recorded in multiple systems depending upon the nature of the items located. The very detailed information sought in the question is not readily available in consolidated form and it would be a major task to manually interrogate relevant systems. The department estimates that this would take a departmental officer an average of 30 minutes for each incident. This equates to approximately 24 working days. The possession of items not permitted in immigration detention facilities may affect the placement of the client within the immigration detention network. Action can also be taken against clients who exhibit illegal or antisocial behaviour, such as the possession of weapons or illicit drugs. The detention service provider may develop individual behavioural agreements with clients who exhibit illegal or antisocial behaviour, which allow for the implementation of interventionist or restrictive measures. Recent amendments to the Migration Act make provision for a person to fail the character test if convicted of an offence while in immigration detention. This may, in turn, affect a client's visa outcome. The following table summarises items detected in immigration detention facilities that are not permitted for the period 1 January 2008 to 30 May 2011. Item Facility Date Smoking implement Villawood Immigration Detention Centre (IDC) 3/01/2008 Alcohol Villawood IDC 7/01/2008 Green leaf matter Villawood IDC 8/01/2008 Non-prescribed medication Villawood IDC 9/01/2008 Aerosol Northern IDC 17/01/2008 Alcohol Villawood IDC 29/01/2008 Scissors, pool balls Maribyrnong IDC 6/02/2008 Broken pool cue Villawood IDC 9/02/2008 Metal bar, Villawood IDC 9/02/2008 Razor blades, mop handle Villawood IDC 12/02/2008 Hacksaw blade Villawood IDC 15/02/2008 Straining ladle Villawood IDC 16/02/2008 Money Villawood IDC 17/02/2008 Alcohol Villawood IDC 18/02/2008 Scissors, money Villawood IDC 21/02/2008 Timber plank, metal bar Villawood IDC 21/02/2008 Timber planks, broken concrete Villawood IDC 23/02/2008 Alcohol Villawood IDC 27/02/2008 Camera phone Villawood IDC 28/02/2008 Alcohol Villawood IDC 8/03/2008 Non-prescribed medication Maribyrnong IDC 21/03/2008 Timber plank Villawood IDC 24/03/2008 Alcohol Maribyrnong IDC 30/03/2008 Syringe Villawood IDC 6/04/2008 Green leaf matter Maribyrnong IDC 8/04/2008 Alcohol Villawood IDC 10/04/2008 Non-prescribed medication, aerosols Villawood IDC 11/04/2008 Smoking implement Villawood IDC 15/04/2008 Scissors Villawood IDC 25/04/2008 Non-prescribed medication, Knife Villawood IDC 30/04/2008 Metal napkin holder Villawood IDC 2/05/2008 Alcohol Villawood IDC 7/05/2008 Non-prescribed medication Perth IDC 8/05/2008 Syringe Villawood IDC 15/05/2008 Green leaf matter Villawood IDC 18/05/2008 Razor blades Villawood IDC 22/05/2008 Razor blades Villawood IDC 22/05/2008 Camera in postal item Villawood IDC 22/05/2008 Rope Perth IDC 31/05/2008 Smoking implement Villawood IDC 2/06/2008 Alcohol Villawood IDC 4/06/2008 Computer hard drive thrown over fence by visitor Villawood IDC 13/06/2008 Smoking implement Villawood IDC 17/06/2008 Camera phone, angel wire Perth IDC 20/06/2008 Alcohol Villawood IDC 23/06/2008 Arrow Northern IDC 24/06/2008 Non-prescribed medication Villawood IDC 29/06/2008 Metal chain Villawood IDC 29/06/2008 Modem Villawood IDC 30/06/2008 Metal pipe, flexicuffs Villawood IDC 4/07/2008 Green leaf matter Villawood IDC 6/07/2008 Smoking implement Villawood IDC 7/07/2008 Alcohol Perth IDC 7/07/2008 Knife Villawood IDC 7/07/2008 Electric cable Villawood IDC 8/07/2008 Non-prescribed medication Villawood IDC 9/07/2008 Smoking implement Villawood IDC 21/07/2008 Alcohol Villawood IDC 25/07/2008 Alcohol Maribyrnong IDC 4/08/2008 Green leaf matter Maribyrnong IDC 11/08/2008 Syringe Villawood IDC 14/08/2008 Phone Villawood IDC 21/08/2008 Smoking implement Villawood IDC 22/08/2008 Syringe Villawood IDC 22/09/2008 Broken glass Villawood IDC 22/09/2008 Smoking implement Villawood IDC 25/09/2008 Alcohol Maribyrnong IDC 3/10/2008 Alcohol Construction Camp APOD 11/10/2008 Knife Villawood IDC 15/10/2008 Non-prescribed medication Maribyrnong IDC 21/10/2008 Razor Villawood IDC 12/11/2008 Alcohol Brisbane Immigration Transit Accommodation (BITA) 21/11/2008 Barbeque tongs Villawood IDC 30/11/2008 Green leaf matter South Australia Alternative Place of Detention (APOD) 17/12/2008 Alcohol Maribyrnong IDC 12/01/2009 Electric cable Villawood IDC 10/02/2009 Folding blade Villawood IDC 26/02/2009 Broom handle, electric cable razors Villawood IDC 18/03/2009 Smoking implement Villawood IDC 20/04/2009 Rope, scissors, metal bar Villawood IDC 9/05/2009 Camera phone Villawood IDC 15/05/2009 Scissors Maribyrnong IDC 19/05/2009 Green leaf matter Maribyrnong IDC 26/06/2009 Non-prescribed medication Villawood IDC 3/07/2009 Alcohol Villawood IDC 16/07/2009 2 way radio Villawood IDC 1/08/2009 Metal rods Villawood IDC 1/08/2009 Green leaf matter Villawood IDC 11/08/2009 Smoking implement Villawood IDC 12/08/2009 Syringe Villawood IDC 26/08/2009 Smoking implement Villawood IDC 31/08/2009 Syringe Villawood IDC 9/09/2009 White powder Villawood IDC 10/09/2009 Metal bar North West Point IDC 19/09/2009 Alcohol North West Point IDC 16/11/2009 Knife Maribyrnong IDC 23/11/2009 Camera phone Villawood IDC 7/12/2009 Metal construction rod Northern IDC 18/12/2009 Alcohol Maribyrnong IDC 23/12/2009 Alcohol Villawood IDC 24/12/2009 Spanner, Allen key Villawood IDC 24/12/2009 Non-permitted item Villawood IDC 27/12/2009 Glass bottle Maribyrnong IDC 28/12/2009 Camera phone Maribyrnong IDC 3/01/2010 Syringe Maribyrnong IDC 7/01/2010 Glass Mirror Maribyrnong IDC 7/01/2010 Camera phone Maribyrnong IDC 7/01/2010 Pornography Northern IDC 16/02/2010 Metal bar, length of chain Villawood IDC 16/02/2010 Pornography Maribyrnong IDC 16/02/2010 Knife Maribyrnong IDC 24/03/2010 Tools Maribyrnong IDC 27/03/2010 Pornography Maribyrnong IDC 27/03/2010 Camera phone Villawood IDC 2/04/2010 Knife Villawood IDC 11/04/2010 Non-prescribed medication Villawood IDC 25/04/2010 Wire coils Villawood IDC 26/04/2010 Wireless modem Villawood IDC 27/04/2010 Pornography Villawood IDC 6/05/2010 Non-prescribed medication Maribyrnong IDC 11/05/2010 Broken Pool Cue Melbourne Immigration Transit Accommodation (MITA) 15/05/2010 Knife Villawood IDC 17/05/2010 Non-permitted item Villawood IDC 23/05/2010 Camera phone, passport Villawood IDC 25/05/2010 Non-prescribed medication Maribyrnong IDC 27/05/2010 Alcohol North West Point IDC 5/06/2010 Camera phone Maribyrnong IDC 11/06/2010 Money Maribyrnong IDC 15/06/2010 Smoking implement Villawood IDC 29/06/2010 Camera phone North West Point IDC 3/07/2010 Electric Cable North West Point IDC 6/07/2010 Broken Objects MITA 13/07/2010 Metal object, rods and other broken items North West Point IDC 17/07/2010 Knife North West Point IDC 23/07/2010 Scissors, needles North West Point IDC 23/07/2010 Knife BITA 28/07/2010 Non-prescribed medication Maribyrnong IDC 29/07/2010 Stick North West Point IDC 30/07/2010 Smoking implement Villawood IDC 31/07/2010 Green leaf matter Villawood IDC 31/07/2010 Length of timber, fire extinguisher Gwalia Lodge APOD 1/08/2010 Non-prescribed medication Sydney Immigration Residential Housing (IRH) 10/08/2010 Green leaf matter Villawood IDC 11/08/2010 Scissors, shifter, broken pool cue and other non-permitted items Villawood IDC 11/08/2010 Money North West Point IDC 11/08/2010 Non-permitted item North West Point IDC 14/08/2010 Rope North West Point IDC 17/08/2010 Mop Handle Villawood IDC 18/08/2010 Camera phone North West Point IDC 19/08/2010 Non-prescribed medication North West Point IDC 20/08/2010 Ropes North West Point IDC 21/08/2010 Non-prescribed medication MITA 22/08/2010 Camera phone Construction Camp APOD 22/08/2010 Rope North West Point IDC 25/08/2010 Electric cables North West Point IDC 27/08/2010 Green leaf matter Maribyrnong IDC 30/08/2010 Nail clippers Villawood IDC 30/08/2010 Knife Northern IDC 30/08/2010 Knife Villawood IDC 1/09/2010 Syringe Villawood IDC 3/09/2010 Rope North West Point IDC 5/09/2010 Green leaf matter Villawood IDC 7/09/2010 Knife, metal bar, pool ball, hoe, shovel pole Villawood IDC 7/09/2010 White powder Villawood IDC 8/09/2010 Scissors Villawood IDC 8/09/2010 Non-prescribed medication North West Point IDC 10/09/2010 Scissors Maribyrnong IDC 10/09/2010 Camera phone Maribyrnong IDC 10/09/2010 Alcohol Asti Motel APOD 12/09/2010 Alcohol Villawood IDC 12/09/2010 Knife BITA 12/09/2010 Aerosol Northern IDC 14/09/2010 Scissors Phosphate Hill APOD 14/09/2010 Recording device North West Point IDC 14/09/2010 Non-prescribed medication North West Point IDC 15/09/2010 Non-prescribed medication North West Point IDC 15/09/2010 Alcohol Construction Camp APOD 16/09/2010 Scissors, metal pole, wooden stick and other non-permitted items Villawood IDC 16/09/2010 lcohol Construction Camp APOD 17/09/2010 Non-prescribed medication Maribyrnong IDC 17/09/2010 Knife Villawood IDC 17/09/2010 Alcohol Construction Camp APOD 18/09/2010 Broom handles North West Point IDC 19/09/2010 Non-prescribed medication North West Point IDC 21/09/2010 Alcohol North West Point IDC 23/09/2010 Camera Gwalia Lodge APOD 24/09/2010 Knife Construction Camp APOD 24/09/2010 Rope North West Point IDC 25/09/2010 Rope North West Point IDC 26/09/2010 Green leaf matter Villawood IDC 28/09/2010 Wire cutters Villawood IDC 28/09/2010 Non-prescribed medication North West Point IDC 29/09/2010 MP3 player North West Point IDC 29/09/2010 Camera phone Maribyrnong IDC 2/10/2010 Rope Maribyrnong IDC 4/10/2010 Smoking implement Villawood IDC 6/10/2010 Rope North West Point IDC 6/10/2010 Knife North West Point IDC 8/10/2010 Alcohol Construction Camp APOD 15/10/2010 Non-prescribed medication North West Point IDC 19/10/2010 Non-permitted items North West Point IDC 24/10/2010 Knife, toy guns Perth IDC 24/10/2010 Scissors Gwalia Lodge APOD 26/10/2010 Camera phone BITA 26/10/2010 Non-prescribed medication North West Point IDC 28/10/2010 Scissors Perth IDC 2/11/2010 Non-prescribed medication North West Point IDC 6/11/2010 Ceramic cup Perth IDC 8/11/2010 Knife North West Point IDC 9/11/2010 Scissors Gwalia Lodge APOD 12/11/2010 Smoking implement Villawood IDC 25/11/2010 Non-permitted items North West Point IDC 25/11/2010 Camera BITA 27/11/2010 Screwdriver Construction Camp APOD 29/11/2010 Scissors Villawood IDC 30/11/2010 Extendable knife North West Point IDC 1/12/2010 Money Scherger IDC 1/12/2010 Scissors North West Point IDC 1/12/2010 Knife, scissors Gwalia Lodge APOD 3/12/2010 Non-prescribed medication Gwalia Lodge APOD 14/12/2010 Non-prescribed medication Inverbrackie APOD 20/12/2010 Rope Maribyrnong IDC 20/12/2010 Alcohol Maribyrnong IDC 22/12/2010 Nail clippers Curtin IDC 22/12/2010 Scissors Scherger IDC 22/12/2010 Alcohol Phosphate Hill APOD 24/12/2010 Alcohol Darwin Airport Lodge APOD 29/12/2010 Alcohol North West Point IDC 30/12/2010 Knife Phosphate Hill APOD 31/12/2010 Screwdriver North West Point IDC 3/01/2011 Non-prescribed medication North West Point IDC 4/01/2011 Camera phone Villawood IDC 4/01/2011 SD card USB stick North West Point IDC 5/01/2011 Pliers BITA 5/01/2011 Rope Villawood IDC 5/01/2011 Volley ball net on roof Villawood IDC 6/01/2011 Mop handle Villawood IDC 10/01/2011 Mop handle, smoking implement Villawood IDC 13/01/2011 Alcohol Villawood IDC 14/01/2011 Alcohol Villawood IDC 19/01/2011 Rope Maribyrnong IDC 19/01/2011 Alcohol Villawood IDC 23/01/2011 Vacuum cleaner pipe Maribyrnong IDC 25/01/2011 Camera phone Villawood IDC 25/01/2011 Alcohol BITA 26/01/2011 Surveillance camera Villawood IDC 26/01/2011 Nail North West Point IDC 27/01/2011 Camera phone Villawood IDC 28/01/2011 Work tools Villawood IDC 31/01/2011 Syringe Villawood IDC 1/02/2011 Alcohol Inverbrackie APOD 3/02/2011 Alcohol North West Point IDC 3/02/2011 Camera phone Villawood IDC 4/02/2011 Alcohol North West Point IDC 5/02/2011 Alcohol Villawood IDC 6/02/2011 Alcohol North West Point IDC 6/02/2011 Non-permitted items on roof Villawood IDC 6/02/2011 Camera phone North West Point IDC 6/02/2011 Non-permitted items Villawood IDC 7/02/2011 Camera phone North West Point IDC 8/02/2011 Alcohol North West Point IDC 12/02/2011 Breath spray bottle Villawood IDC 12/02/2011 Electric Cable North West Point IDC 12/02/2011 Non-prescribed medication North West Point IDC 13/02/2011 Scissors Phosphate Hill APOD 15/02/2011 Alcohol Darwin Airport lodge APOD 16/02/2011 Alcohol North West Point IDC 19/02/2011 Metal door opener, metal tubing Villawood IDC 21/02/2011 Scissors Villawood IDC 21/02/2011 Alcohol North West Point IDC 25/02/2011 Camera phone North West Point IDC 25/02/2011 Alcohol North West Point IDC 26/02/2011 Rope North West Point IDC 1/03/2011 Knife Perth IDC 1/03/2011 Knife North West Point IDC 2/03/2011 Scissors North West Point IDC 2/03/2011 Scissors North West Point IDC 3/03/2011 Metal rod, wire North West Point IDC 4/03/2011 Knife Inverbrackie APOD 7/03/2011 Non-prescribed medication Northern IDC 9/03/2011 Knife, Money Villawood IDC 9/03/2011 Electric cable North West Point IDC 9/03/2011 Scissors and other non-permitted items Construction Camp APOD 9/03/2011 Alcohol North West Point IDC 10/03/2011 Knife Villawood IDC 10/03/2011 Wristband similar to visitors wristband Villawood IDC 11/03/2011 Money Villawood IDC 14/03/2011 Wristband similar to visitors wristband, knife Villawood IDC 15/03/2011 Camera phone Sydney IRH 15/03/2011 Length of timber North West Point IDC 17/03/2011 Knife Villawood IDC 17/03/2011 Aerosol Villawood IDC 19/03/2011 Money Villawood IDC 19/03/2011 Scissors Villawood IDC 19/03/2011 Non-prescribed medication North West Point IDC 20/03/2011 Camera phone and charger North West Point IDC 21/03/2011 Metal rod Villawood IDC 21/03/2011 Alcohol Phosphate Hill APOD 22/03/2011 Metal poles Villawood IDC 23/03/2011 Alcohol Villawood IDC 24/03/2011 Scissors North West Point IDC 26/03/2011 Metal and wooden poles Construction Camp APOD 30/03/2011 Alcohol North West Point IDC 5/04/2011 Step ladder Gwalia Lodge APOD 6/04/2011 Money Villawood IDC 8/04/2011 Knife Phosphate Hill APOD 11/04/2011 Heavy duty cling wrap Villawood IDC 12/04/2011 Alcohol North West Point IDC 13/04/2011 Scissors North West Point IDC 13/04/2011 USB Curtin IDC 18/04/2011 Alcohol North West Point IDC 19/04/2011 Non-permitted item North West Point IDC 19/04/2011 Syringe Villawood IDC 19/04/2011 Pornography Gwalia Lodge APOD 23/04/2011 Camera phone Maribyrnong IDC 25/04/2011 Camera phone Maribyrnong IDC 27/04/2011 Alcohol Maribyrnong IDC 28/04/2011 Cooking oil Northern IDC 1/05/2011 USB North West Point IDC 2/05/2011 Non-prescribed medication Scherger IDC 3/05/2011 Alcohol Northern IDC 3/05/2011 Rope North West Point IDC 3/05/2011 Ropes Northern IDC 3/05/2011 Camera phones, money Villawood IDC 4/05/2011 Money, scissors, metal pole Villawood IDC 5/05/2011 Pool cue, knife Northern IDC 6/05/2011 Metal pipe Villawood IDC 6/05/2011 Camera phone Villawood IDC 6/05/2011 Alcohol Curtin IDC 7/05/2011 Camera phone Villawood IDC 8/05/2011 Rope North West Point IDC 9/05/2011 Scissors and broken items Villawood IDC 10/05/2011 Camera phone Villawood IDC 12/05/2011 Alcohol Construction Camp APOD 14/05/2011 Alcohol Villawood IDC 15/05/2011 Knife Villawood IDC 15/05/2011 Smoking implement Villawood IDC 16/05/2011 Pool cue Northern IDC 16/05/2011 Metal strapping and wire North West Point IDC 17/05/2011 Camera phone Maribyrnong IDC 19/05/2011 Camera phone Maribyrnong IDC 19/05/2011 Camera phone Curtin IDC 21/05/2011 Non-prescribed medication Construction Camp APOD 23/05/2011 Alcohol North West Point IDC 24/05/2011 Alcohol Phosphate Hill APOD 24/05/2011 Non-prescribed medication Construction Camp APOD 25/05/2011 Mop handle Villawood IDC 26/05/2011 Pliers Villawood IDC 26/05/2011 Alcohol MITA 27/05/2011 Pornography Curtin IDC 28/05/2011 Pornography Curtin IDC 29/05/2011