The Asylum Seeker Resource Centre said Labor had previously promised the detention centres would be operated directly by government.
“Contracting a prison operator sends a clear message that detention is punitive,” said the ASRC’s deputy chief executive, Jana Favero. “The human cost of this decision cannot be overstated.”
“We call on the government to honour its commitment and end the use of private companies in detention, starting with the review of this contract and honouring their other platform promise – establishing a parliamentary inquiry into immigration detention.