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
Refugees and asylum in Russia asylum seekers in Russia are generally very poor. Asylum seekers in Russia typically have to wait years to receive a decision from the FMS. During that time, they are typically living without proper legal documents – making it nearly impossible for them to find a job outside of the local food markets. According to the United Nations, until recognized as refugees by the state, asylum seekers cannot enjoy such rights as "legal employment, healthcare, housing assistance and social benefits" - and even the right to register marriages and births. Asylum seekers in Russia are constantly in friction with the police.