A Saudi Arabian journalist seeking asylum in Australia speaks out against a bill that could see mobile phones confiscated from people in immigration detention centres.
Sultan says he and his partner could not have pursued their claim for refugee status had they been denied a mobile phone while in immigration detention.Sultan used his phone to contact an Australian journalist friend overseas, who put them in touch with a human rights lawyer."But also the phone was very, very important later on down the line because I was able to do emails, I was able to make phone calls and I was able to get in touch with my journalist friends from around the world.
The Government says Border Force officers currently have to rely on local or federal police to seize illegal items. The bill would allow the Immigration Minister, with the consent of parliament, to declare certain items prohibited in immigration detention facilities. These include things prohibited by law, such as weapons or drugs, but also items that "might be a risk to the health, safety or security of persons in the facility, or to the order of the facility".
The bill lists mobile phones, SIM cards and internet-connected devices as examples of things that may be prohibited.
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