Kia Carnival escape one of 12 since US firm took control of Australian immigration detention, damning report finds

At least 12 escapes have occurred since a US private prison operator began running Australia’s immigration detention network, including by a high-risk detainee who was mistakenly placed in an unsecured Kia Carnival with a makeshift weapon, a scathing report has found.

The prisons watchdog, the National Preventive Mechanism (NPM), on Tuesday released a damning report about the running of the onshore immigration detention centres during their transition to Management and Training Corporation (MTC).

A Guardian Australia investigation has previously revealed accusations of serious understaffing levels and significant security problems, including during vehicle escorts, since MTC’s takeover from the previous provider, Serco, in early 2025.

The Guardian has also revealed that the Department of Home Affairs handed the onshore detention contract to MTC despite its dubious track record in the US, where it has been accused of egregious security failings and the mistreatment of detainees rounded up during the second Trump administration’s crackdown.

The NPM’s report confirmed the Guardian’s reporting. It found that detention centres had been left with “critical” understaffing levels. It also found a marked decrease in safety and security, during and after the transition.

There had been 12 escapes since April 2025, the report found – a “significant increase in escape events and attempts during and following the transition”.

Guardian Australia has previously revealed that in one escape last May, a detainee was placed in a Kia Carnival – a vehicle lacking any safety barriers or security measures – while being taken from Villawood to Sydney airport for deportation. The detainee stabbed two staff and fled, prompting a manhunt.

The NPM report reveals that the detainee had previously been classified as “high-risk” and requiring restraint. The security assessment was not passed on to the escorting team, who erroneously assumed he was low-risk.

“The vehicle used for this removal lacked safety features which would have been commensurate with conducting a high-risk escort activity, including CCTV, safety partition screens or autolocking features,” the NPM report said.

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The monitor also heard from workers about “critically” low staffing levels, compared with pre-transition levels. This contributed to reduced access to healthcare for detainees, the report found, and a reduction in programs and visits.

All detainees were now subject to a blanket rule that they be handcuffed to attend medical appointments, regardless of their risk, the report found.

“Monitors spoke to a person in detention who disclosed that despite wrist-pain, a low-risk rating, a history of torture and trauma, and having been detained for seven years during which many movements have been undertaken without mechanical restraints applied, they have still been subjected to this blanket directive,” the report said.

“Due to the requirement for mechanical restraints to be applied the individual advised Monitors they have declined to attend medical and psychological appointments.”

Staffing problems, including low morale, allegations of wage theft, burnout and “significant overtime requirements” were also identified.

“In one instance, Monitors also observed staff rostered to keep a 24-hour static guard over a light pole which had been utilised to affect an escape,” the report said.

The report found that there was poor communication between Australian Border Force and the service provider and inadequate planning, as well as a lack of clarity for workers about their employment during the transition.

“The impacts on safety and security were evident by the increase in incidents, escapes and the exacerbation of pre-existing issues during and after the transition period,” the report said.

MTC was approached for comment but referred the query to Australian Border Force. The home affairs department was also approached for comment.