The Australian government has released pictures showing the riot at Christmas Island migrant detention centre earlier this week and its aftermath.
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Police arrived on Monday night on the island, and began to take control of a few wings of the centre and negotiate with inmates, the majority of whom cooperated with the authorities.
Inmates lit fires inside and barricaded themselves in a compound with weapons.
Immigration Minister Peter Dutton said five detainees sustained minor lacerations and injuries in the scuffles, and confirmed tear gas was used.
Immigrants at a detention centre on Australia’s Christmas Island are protesting following the death of an Iranian escapee, lighting fires and damaging medical, educational and sporting facilities in what authorities are describing as a “major disturbance”.
The disturbance at the Indian Ocean island center comes after the unexplained death of an escaped asylum seeker.
Seven Christmas Island detention centre detainees have been flown off the island, after riots rocked the prison this week.
The detainee said the guards appeared to have left the centre and he was anxious they would return with guns.
Officials say those leading the unrest were detainees whose visas had been cancelled.
That has led to an influx of New Zealanders with criminal records – a few of whom were long-term residents of Australia – ending up in immigration detention while they await deportation.
The refugee, whose death sparked the unrest at the site, was identified as Fazel Chegeni, reportedly an Iranian Kurd.
Australia’s Department of Immigration said there were reports of damage.
“Things aren’t good… I think it’s the calm before the storm… one guy I spoke to said they’re afraid, they’re scared they’re going to be shot”, he told TV3. “The Australians aren’t interested in negotiating a peaceful resolution… they’ve gone to the expense of flying over reinforcements who’ve got to earn their money”.
The Australian government has been criticism for a tough stance against refugees in recent years.
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Under controversial policies, Australia sends all intercepted asylum seekers to Christmas Island as well as Manus Island in Papua New Guinea and Nauru in the South Pacific.
