Fresh calls for parliamentary snap elections have come after MPs voted against the Migrant Amendment (Urgent Medical Bill) 2018 which allows refugees in offshore detainment facilities access to medical treatment in Australia, with the country's minority conservative government suffering a heavy political blow.
Despite the bill passing in the lower house, it will face scrutiny in the upper Senate before being adopted as law.
Previous Australian administrations have supported detention centres in order to prevent deaths by drowning at sea whilst travelling to Australia.
"The legislation Labor passed in the House of Representatives today ensures that people in Australia's care can get urgent medical treatment when they need it," Australian Labour party leader Bill Shorten tweeted.
— Bill Shorten (@billshortenmp) February 12, 2019
— Bill Shorten (@billshortenmp) February 12, 2019
"The Australian people understand our nation can be strong on borders and still treat people humanely," Mr. Shorten added. "We can preserve our national security and still look after people to whom we owe a duty of care. This legislation gets that balance right."
According to a 2017 snapshot report on detention centres and immigration, nine facilities, including five high security immigration detention centres (IDCs) in Perth, Maribyrnong, Yongah Hill, Northest Point and Villawood operated on Christmas Island, which are used for adults deemed 'medium to high risk'.
— Suya Wang (@wangsuya1) February 12, 2019
— Mark Prices (@PricesMark) February 12, 2019
Three immigration transit accommodation (ITA) facilities in Adelaide, Brisbane and Melbourne operate under lower security protocols, and one immigration residential housing (IRH) facility in Perth provides "residential-style accommodation" the report said.
The report added that the number of detained migrants had fallen dramatically to 1,364 held in centres as of the end of 2016, down from over 10,000 in 2013.
