The adult male passengers and crew from a vessel intercepted by Border Protection Command on Tuesday (December 16) north-east of Darwin will be accommodated in the North West Point immigration detention facility following approval today by the Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Senator Chris Evans.

The group of 37 males is expected to arrive at Christmas Island over the weekend.

Accommodation arrangements are determined by the numbers of arrivals as well as the need to separate groups for processing, public health management, gender, culture and other reasons.

The government’s policy is to open the new facility when numbers and separation arrangements required it.

Currently, there are 135 unauthorised boat arrivals on Christmas Island – the majority of them single adult males – from six boat arrivals since September.

Of those, 28 people are in housing or community-style facilities while their asylum claims are processed.

The remainder are accommodated in the Phosphate Hill detention centre and the Construction Camp facilities.

Consistent with government policy, all unauthorised boat arrivals are detained and processed at Christmas Island while health, identity and security checks are undertaken.

The facilities on Christmas Island and the excision of offshore islands remain as part of the key measures to ensure the security of Australia’s borders.

Children, families and women will not be accommodated in the North West Point facility, consistent with the government’s policy that no children will reside in immigration detention centres.

Media enquiries: National Communications (02) 6264 2244