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AAP
AAP
Politics
Caitlin Powell

New law to end prison-like culture in detention centres

The vast majority of people held in immigration detention have criminal convictions. (Dean Lewins/AAP PHOTOS)

Staff at immigration detention centres may get stronger search powers under new federal legislation to combat a "prison-like culture".

Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said changes in the centres' demographic over recent years meant roughly 90 per cent of detainees had criminal convictions.

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