Iraqi man dies in suspected suicide at Villawood immigration detention centre

An immigration detainee from Iraq has died in a suspected suicide at the Villawood detention centre in Sydney.

The Department of Home Affairs, which oversees immigration detention, confirmed the death of the man on Sunday.

“The department and Australian Border Force express our condolences to the man’s family and friends,” a spokesperson said.

“The matter has been referred for investigation to the appropriate agencies, including the NSW coroner.

“As this matter will be subject to ongoing investigation, it would not be appropriate to comment further.”

The Refugee Action Coalition was alerted to the death early on Sunday morning, with the Iraqi detainee in his 30s found dead in his cell.

The man is believed to have been last seen alive at 10pm on Saturday in his cell. He was a detainee for five years.

“It is shocking that there has been yet another suicide in [the] Villawood detention centre,” the coalition’s spokesperson Ian Rintoul said.

“It is not just a factory for mental illness, it is becoming a suicide factory.”

The coalition says the man had been moved several times at the centre because of tensions with other detainees, including a fight with another man on Saturday night.

Immigration detainees have access to health services, including mental health services.

In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14 and beyondblue is 1300 22 4636. In the US, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 1-800-273-8255. In the UK, Samaritans can be contacted on 116 123. Other international suicide helplines can be found at befrienders.org