Immigration Minister Peter Dutton has dramatically escalated his estimate of the cost of damage caused by the Christmas Island detention centre riot, saying it will cost closer to $10 million to fix, as he confirmed more detainees involved in the unrest will be removed from the island.
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It comes as New Zealand's Internal Affairs Minister Peter Dunne lashed the Australian government for its treatment of detainees, comparing Australia's detention system to Guantanamo Bay.
In an opinion piece for Fairfax Media, Mr Dunne, who leads the United New Zealand Future Party, writes: "Australia's leaders keep telling us in New Zealand that we are family. But Australia is treating people in its detention camps – in the main New Zealanders awaiting deportation – in a way that is appalling."
He said most New Zealanders would be "far from comfortable" with people being held captive on offshore islands.
He said the people who were in detention after having their visas revoked under section 501 of Australia's Migration Act were now "worse off than when they were in prison".
"The modern concentration camp approach Australia has taken is simply wrong. It was wrong when the British tried it in Northern Ireland in the 1970s; it is wrong in Guantanamo Bay, or in Israel today. Australia is no different."
Five New Zealanders were among seven detainees transferred from Christmas Island to a correctional facility in Western Australian on Wednesday afternoon.
The inmates were described as a group of "extreme risk individuals who are alleged to have been involved in the disturbance at the centre".
Mr Dutton said anyone whose visa had been cancelled could choose to leave Australia.
"There is no need for any New Zealander, or for that matter anyone from any nation, who has had their visa cancelled under section 501 of the Migration Act to be in immigration detention in Australia," he said.
"These people can choose to depart Australia at any time from the moment their visa is cancelled.
"They retain their full rights to challenge the cancellation decision from their country of origin and if their appeals are successful they have every right to return to Australia.
"If they are in immigration detention in Australia it is by their choice. It is their own actions in committing crimes that carry a jail sentence of one year or more that has led to their visa cancellation."
Earlier on Thursday, Mr Dutton said an inmate from Afghanistan and another from Tonga were also among the group of inmates and others were expected to be removed from the island at a later time.
In the initial aftermath of the riot the government had estimated the repairs to destroyed equipment and common areas, smashed windows and burnt out parts of the centre would cost more than $1 million.
Mr Dutton told 2GB broadcaster Ray Hadley on Thursday that assessments of the damage now suggested a much higher figure.
"The initial figure that we looked at in the opening hours was over a million dollars. The figure that I was advised of yesterday and that again they're still doing the assessment, the figure is closer to $10 million worth of damage," Mr Dutton said.
"If people want to think that this is the sort of damage that's been committed by somebody that's been involved in shoplifting and minor traffic offences, it just shows how wrong they are."
He said the government would also be looking closely at private security contractor Serco and what had caused the riot after the death of Iranian Kurd asylum seeker Fazel Chegeni.
"We've had lots to say to Serco in private and there is an investigation under way at the moment," Mr Dutton said.
"They've got a contract to perform and the commissioner obviously of the Australian Border Force and secretary of my department are looking very closely at what went wrong and why there was a failure, which clearly there was."
The Refugee Action Coalition issued a statement on Thursday alleging 20 asylum seekers on Christmas Island had been held in a compound where they were left without food or water for more than 24 hours.
But the Department of Immigration and Border Protection said all detainees "have been provided with food, water and shelter throughout the unrest at the centre".
Guardian Australia reported on Thursday that one of the people being held on Christmas Island was 51-year-old British citizen Ian Wightman.
Mr Wightman came to Australia as a one-year old but is awaiting deportation for lighting a fire in 2011.
The blaze burnt less than an acre of land and did not destroy any property or life and Mr Wightman had already served 15 months in a Western Australian prison.
Western Australia's prisoners review board noted he had completed all rehabilitation programs while in jail.
