Mr Ruddock said longer term detainees from Woomera had recently been moved to Port Hedland to make way for new arrivals. Violence is increasing in Australia's detention camps where all asylum seekers are placed automatically if they enter the country illegally. Criminal gangs Mr Ruddock has just returned from the Middle East where he was seeking help in discouraging illegal immigrants from coming to Australia. Every year, thousands of illegal immigrants from Asia and the Middle East try to slip into Australia. Many of them are smuggled in by criminal gangs on dangerous, rickety boats.
Reports say there has been a big increase recently in arrivals from the Middle East.
Police forces believe most travel via Malaysia to the Indonesian province of Java where they take small boats to Australia's north-west coast. Doha in doubt for WTO talks Indonesian dissent over air strikes China checks for Muslim travellers US and Uzbekistan agree pact Schumi powers to pole US starts Japanese trawler salvage Key trade talks in the balance EU probes Burma pipeline abuses Links to more Asia-Pacific stories are at the foot of the page.