Currently, immigration detainees have been housed in government-rented hotels and guest houses, which even when supplied with security officers, has resulted in a multitude of escapes over the past few years.

According to Premier Wheatley, “$700,000 has been allocated in 2023 towards the development of a detention centre that will house and process illegal immigrants in a humane manner, and in accordance with international conventions until they are safely repatriated to their homeland.”

Premier Wheatley explained that the territory is in need of a dedicated facility to accommodate the processing of illegal immigrants and stated that this initiative is critical to the security and safety of the people, as well as complying with international standards for the treatment of illegal immigrants.

“The temporary accommodation arrangements as they obtain today are not effective and are vulnerable to subversion, as has been experienced in recent times. This will also save government money as renting accommodation to house detainees is very expensive,” the premier noted.

While several detainees have been recaptured and processed over the years, it remains unclear how many escaped persons remain at large at this time.