Senator BARTLETT (2:22 PM) —My question is addressed to the Minister representing the Minister for Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs. I draw the minister's attention to figures produced by the immigration department, which show that on 8 April this year 311 people in Nauru and on Manus Island were assessed as refugees. Of those 311, 176—well over half— have family already in Australia. How many of these 176 people have been accepted into Australia since that time and how many people, two months after being assessed as refugees and with immediate family in Australia, are still being kept in detention offshore? Will the minister give a commitment to ensure that these families are no longer kept separated and will he immediately enable these refugees to enter Australia?

Senator ELLISON (Minister for Justice and Customs) —I do not have those precise figures with me and I undertake to get them to Senator Bartlett. A high percentage of people were found not to be refugees and I remind the Senate of that. I think that is a significant factor in relation to those people in Nauru and on Manus Island. But I will get the precise figures for Senator Bartlett.

Senator BARTLETT —Madam President, I ask a supplementary question. I have the figures; I have quoted them to the minister. They are from his department. I am asking how much longer the people are going to be kept locked up when they have already been assessed as refugees. I also note that prior to the most recent assessment 757 out of 1,129 people were assessed as refugees, so a clear majority and a very high percentage of people have been assessed as refugees. How does the minister justify continuing to detain hundreds of people since they have been assessed as genuine refugees?

Senator ELLISON (Minister for Justice and Customs) —If Senator Bartlett has the figures, he should not have asked me. But he did ask how many people had come to Australia and that was something that I was taking on notice. I think that he should reassess his comment in relation to that. As a result of the finding that determined these people to be refugees, there are processes that the department still has to go through. They will be gone through as expeditiously as possible.