New Zealand authorities are investigating the death at the Melbourne Immigration Transit Accommodation. Photo / Google
New Zealand authorities are investigating the death of a Kiwi at a Melbourne immigration detention centre.
A spokesperson from the Australian Border Force said a male had died at the Melbourne Immigration Transit Accommodation (MITA) today.
Australia's Acting Immigration Minister Alan Tudge said the detainee had a "very serious criminal history" and was set for deportation.
A source told the Herald a Kiwi had died in MITA this morning.
The New Zealand Consulate-General and Ministry of Foreign Affairs are responding to reports of the death of a Kiwi in a Melbourne detention centre. However, an Mfat spokesperson said no further information about the Kiwi or the death can be provided for privacy reasons.
The ABF spokesperson said the matter had been referred for investigation to the appropriate agencies, including the Victorian Coroner. They would not comment further as the death was subject to an ongoing investigation.
Tudge said the detainee, who was not Australian, was scheduled to be kicked out of the country and had a very serious criminal record.
"Of course it is a concern – any death that occurs. There is no information to suggest that any protocol was broken," he told the ABC.
"There will be a full coroner's investigation into this to determine the cause of death and any lessons from it."
Victoria Police confirmed the death occurred at the Broadmeadows immigration detention facility on Camp Rd, in Melbourne's north, on Monday morning.
"Police will prepare a report for the coroner following the death of a man in a detention facility in Broadmeadows this morning," a spokesman said. "His death is not being treated as suspicious."
- Additional reporting from News.com.au
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