Immigration officials should face action

A former human rights commissioner says Immigration Department officials who breached human rights under the Howard government need to face disciplinary action.

Cultural problems in the department were identified in several inquiries into detention conditions and illegal deportations.

Dr Sev Ozdowski, who is now at the University of Western Sydney, says the politicians have left government but it is not known whether public servants who still deal with asylum seekers meet required ethical standards.

"There was systemic problems and it's very difficult to put it under carpet and say 'now we provide better training for our officers and now the Government is telling us that we should behave better, so we are behaving better'," he said.

"We won't fix it unless we address the issue."

Dr Ozdowski told a parliamentary inquiry into immigration detention that the Government's move to make detention a last resort is welcome, but it needs to become law.

He says assessments of staff over past wrongful detention or deportations would ensure Immigration Department culture does change.

"I think they should be verified by the public service as to whether they are fit to serve in the Australian public service," he said.

Dr Ozdowski says it would not be a witch-hunt, but it could change a culture where overzealous public servants did not provide fearless and unbiased advice to the Howard government.

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