Photo © 2009 AAP Image/Andrea Hayward

Boat arrivals are in the news again today, as two more vessels hit Australian waters within 24 hours. Both vessels are being taken to Christmas Island for processing.

Professor Patrick McGorry, 2010 Australian of the Year and leading mental health expert, also visited Christmas Island over the weekend to “look and learn” (his description). He was invited to the detention centre as a guest of the Department of Immigration and Citizenship.

In the past, Professor McGorry has described the immigration detention centres as ‘factories for mental illness’.  

The issue of boat arrivals has been a hot topic in the lead-up to the election, with both major political parties trying to outline their offshore policies.

PM Julia Gillard is hoping for an East Timor solution, despite opposition from that country’s MPs, while Tony Abbott has his eyes set on Nauru and resurrecting the processing centre built there by the Howard government. The president of Nauru has said he is worried that Gillard has overlooked the island nation for political reasons.

Whilst both parties are seeking solutions offshore, several towns on Aussie home turf have stepped up, appealing to host the refugee detention centres. King Island, Edenhope, and Darebin in Melbourne, have all stated an interest. Edenhope and Darebin cite the jobs created from hosting the centres as their reasons.

Professor McGorry has said he suspected more than half the detainees were likely to have mental health problems because of the torture and trauma they had endured in their home countries. He has called on both major parties to show “bipartisan moral leadership” on the issue.

Tune into The 7pm Project tonight to hear more of what Professor Patrick McGorry has to say on the asylum seeker issue.

Should we open detention centres in Australia, or send jobs offshore along with asylum seekers? Does the average Australian know what happens in our detention centres? Log in below and have your say.