67 In April 2020, more than 1,100 doctors, psychiatrists and healthcare professionals co-signed a letter to the Home Affairs Minister demanding the immediate release of people in immigration detention centres into community-supported accommodation.123 The letter stated that: ‘Failure to take action to release people seeking asylum and refugees from detention will not only put them at greater risk of infection and possibly death… It also risks placing a greater burden on wider Australian society and the health care system.’ 124 68 The Refugee Council of Australia (RCA) – along with people held in immigration detention – has also raised concerns about insufficient protections available inside detention centres to protect people from the virus, noting some detainees have compromised immune systems and chronic medical conditions, placing them at higher risk of serious infection.125 69 Research has found that those detained in Australian immigration facilities for more than 24 months have particularly poor health.126 The average period of time people spend in detention is 545 days, with 38.3% of people having been detained for more than two years.127 In 2019, the Government revealed that the average period of detention for stateless persons is 574 days.128 70 Human rights organisations have also warned of the risk posed to people in immigration detention during the pandemic. 129 71 In March 2020, UN agencies issued a joint statement urging states to release refugees from detention, considering the ‘lethal consequences’ a COVID-19 outbreak would have.130 72 The Australian Human Rights Commissioner also publicly called on the Government to urgently remove people from immigration detention centres and place them in residential community detention locations where safe to do so.131 73 Despite the Governments of Spain, Belgium, and the United Kingdom releasing people from immigration detention to better protect them – and indeed the broader community – during the pandemic,132 the Australian Government has failed to do so. 123 ‘Australian Doctors Call for Refugees to be Released Amid Coronavirus Fears’, SBS News (online, 2 April 2020) <https://www.sbs.com.au/news/australian-doctors-call-for-refugees-to-be-released-amid-coronavirus-fears>. 124 Ibid. 125 Refugee Council of Australia, ‘Leaving No-One Behind: Ensuring People Seeking Asylum and Refugees are Included in COVID-19 Strategies’ (Web page, last updated 9 April 2020) <https://www.refugeecouncil.org.au/priorities-covid-19/ >. 126 Janette P Green and Kathy Eagar, ‘The Health of People in Australian Immigration Detention Centres’ (2010) 192(2) Medical Journal of Australia 65 <https://www.mja.com.au/journal/2010/192/2/health-people-australian-immigration-detention-centres >. 127 Department of Home Affairs (Cth), Australian Border Force, Immigration Detention and Community Statistics Summary (31 March 2020) 11-12 <https://www.homeaffairs.gov.au/research-and-stats/files/immigration-detention-statistics-31-march-2020.pdf >. 128 As at 31 August 2019. See 2019-2020 Supplementary budget estimates, 21/10/2019, Question 167, (Senator Nick McKim) available at <https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Senate_estimates/legcon/2019-20_Supplementary_Budget_Estimates >. 129 International Detention Coalition (IDC) 2020, Response to Covid-19, viewed 17 April 2020, <https://mailchi.mp/idcoalition/international-detention-monitor-defending-the-right-to-monitor-immigration-detention-in-mexico1628329?e=c30afd6bb9 >. 130 UNHCR, ‘The Rights and Health of Refugees, Migrants and Stateless Must be Protected in COVID-19 Response’ (Press release, 31 March 2020) <https://www.unhcr.org/news/press/2020/3/5e836f164/rights-health-refugees-migrants-stateless-must-protected-covid-19response.html>. 131 Stefan Armbruster, ‘Human Rights Commissioner Calls for Immigration Detainees' Release Over Coronavirus Infection Fears’, SBS News (online, 13 April 2020) <https://www.sbs.com.au/news/human-rights-commissioner-calls-for-immigration-detainees-release-overcoronavirus-infection-fears >. 132 ‘Interior abre la puerta a liberar a internos en los CIE por el coronavirus’, La Vanguardia (online, 19 March 2020) <https://www.lavanguardia.com/politica/20200319/474263064358/interior-abre-puerta-liberar-internos-cie.html>; Bruno Struys, ‘300 mensen zonder papieren vrijgelaten: coronavirus zet DVZ onder druk’, De Morgen (online, 19 March 2020) 15