A VIETNAMESE detainee who escaped the Yongah Hill Immigration Detention Centre has still not been caught after 12 days on the run.
The man was one of two Vietnamese detainees to escape the centre on the night of December 27.
A spokesman for Immigration Minister Scott Morrison said efforts were continuing to find the escapee, who was still on the run at the time of going to press. Detention services provider Serco will investigate the circumstances of the escape, the spokesman said.
"The minister has requested a report on this escape be provided to him together with a statement of actions taken by Serco and the department since the last escape from Yongah Hill."
Northam police will no longer be actively involved in the manhunt, according to the station's officer-in-charge, Senior Sergeant Mal Ward.
"However, we will respond to any sightings," Snr Sgt Ward said.
The other escapee was caught the day after the escape, near the Northam Country Club.
Snr Sgt Ward said the escapee was caught partly due to the information given by vigilant locals.
“We were able to work out where to find him,” Snr Sgt Ward said.
The escapee was dehydrated and sick when found and needed immediate medical attention, Snr Sgt Ward said.
Northam Shire president Steven Pollard said he had been told by the centre’s service provider Serco that the two detainees had been kept in a different compound from the five detainees that escaped the centre on August 17.
The two detainees had also escaped through a different section of the three fences surrounding the centre.
Cr Pollard said there was still a lack of communication between Serco and the
Northam community, despite complaints made in the August breakout.
He said he asked Serco representatives 12 hours after the break-out if they had contacted up to 30 families that lived within two kilometres of the centre.
At that point in time, they had not, Cr Pollard said.
Cr Pollard said Serco had agreed before the centre was constructed in 2012, to keep the surrounding community informed of any situations, which included fires, evacuations and break-outs.
Cr Pollard had been kept informed of details by text message within the first few
days of the breakout.
He observed there were not as many police used compared to the previous escape.
Cr Pollard said he had seen far less police, no patrols, and no command posts this time round.
He said there had been a meeting with Serco and the Department shortly after the
break-out in August.
Cr Pollard said the key views expressed by the department was that detainees at the facility were “detainees with administrative detention, not criminals, not threats, just someone without a piece of paper”.
He said the department had expressed at the meeting that there should not be an outcry if there was an escape.
However, Cr Pollard said he was still concerned, because anybody that escaped
through heavily secure fences of the facility required expertise and ingenuity.
The last detainee to be caught in August was found after nine days on the run.