Woomera, South Australia and Woomera was chosen as a site for such a facility. The establishment of the Woomera Immigration Detention Centre in 1999, through the refurbishment of the original Woomera Village construction camp at 'Woomera West', eventually brought in new permanent staff (as the Nurrungar people were leaving) to settle and maintain the village population at around 1,200. The immigration detention centre, however, proved to be a highly controversial facility and it closed in early 2003 after only about 36 months of operation, at which point the land and buildings were handed back to the Defence Department. Following the closure of the
Immigrant health in Australia expresses concerns in regards to the condition of which the refugees and asylum seekers are living, as well the Department's management of long-term detention and the impact this can have on young children. This debate against mandatory detention identifies the negatives and prolonged health issues that can arise from long-term detention. It has been recommended that once asylum seekers and refugees are cleared of the initial checks, such as those of identity and health, that they are then released into community detention or granted a bridging visa whilst waiting for their refugee status to be determined. However, further studies prove