The Christmas Island Detention Centre that was reopened two months ago following the medical evacuation laws passed by Parliament has 148 extra staff at the facility, despite receiving no detainees.
“Since the passage of the medevac law no person from regional processing countries have been transferred there,” the department secretary, Michael Pezzullo, told a Senate estimates hearing on Thursday.
Senator Linda Reynolds says the reopening of Christmas Island served as a “very successful” deterrent because no one had gotten on a boat.
She said it sent a clear message to people smugglers and asylum seekers saying that “if you do jump on that boat you will go to Christmas Island, you will not come to mainland Australia”.