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.