# Persons entering immigration detention facilities—screening powers

> act-s252G — as in force on 2026-06-04 — C2026C00232 · Compilation No. 171 — https://www.legislation.gov.au/C2026C00232/latest/text

252G Persons entering immigration detention facilities—screening
         powers
          (1) An officer may request that a person about to enter an immigration
              detention facility operated by or on behalf of the Commonwealth
              do one or more of the following:
               (a) walk through screening equipment;
               (b) allow an officer to pass hand-held screening equipment over
                    or around the person or around things in the person’s
                    possession;
               (c) allow things in the person’s possession to pass through
                    screening equipment or to be examined by X-ray.
        (1A) An officer may make a request to a person under subsection (1)
             whether or not, before making the request, the officer has any
             suspicion that there is in the person’s possession a thing mentioned
             in subsection (3).
          (2) Screening equipment means a metal detector or similar device for
              detecting objects or particular substances.
          (3) An authorised officer may request that a person do something
              under subsection (4) if the person is about to enter an immigration
              detention facility operated by or on behalf of the Commonwealth,
              and the officer suspects on reasonable grounds that there is in the
              person’s possession:








                 (a) a thing that:
                       (i) might endanger the safety of the detainees, staff or other
                           persons at the facility; or
                      (ii) might disrupt the order or security arrangements at the
                           facility; or
                 (b) a prohibited thing.
        (3A) A request may be made under subsection (4) that a person do
             something whether or not a request is also made under
             subsection (1) that the person do something.
          (4) An authorised officer may request that the person do one or more
              of the following:
                (a) allow the authorised officer to inspect the things in the
                    person’s possession;
               (b) remove some or all of the person’s outer clothing such as a
                    coat, jacket or similar item;
                (c) remove items from the pockets of the person’s clothing;
               (d) open a thing in the person’s possession, or remove the thing’s
                    contents, to allow the authorised officer to inspect the thing
                    or its contents;
                (e) leave a thing in the person’s possession, or some or all of its
                    contents, in a place specified by the authorised officer, if the
                    officer suspects on reasonable grounds that the thing or
                    anything in its contents:
                      (i) might endanger the safety of the detainees, staff or other
                          persons at the immigration detention facility; or
                     (ii) might disrupt the order or security arrangements at the
                          facility; or
                    (iii) is a prohibited thing.
          (5) Subject to subsections (6) and (6A), a person who leaves a thing
              (including any of its contents) in a place specified by an authorised
              officer is entitled to its return when the person leaves the
              immigration detention facility.










          (6) If possession of the thing, or any of those contents, by the person is
              unlawful under a Commonwealth law or in the State or Territory in
              which the immigration detention facility is located:
                (a) the thing or the contents must not be returned to the person;
                    and
                (b) an authorised officer must, as soon as practicable, give the
                    thing or the contents to a constable (within the meaning of
                    the Crimes Act 1914).
        (6A) If a person leaves a prohibited thing determined under
             paragraph 251A(2)(b) in a place as mentioned in subsection (5) of
             this section, it is forfeited to the Commonwealth if an authorised
             officer considers on reasonable grounds, after taking all reasonable
             steps to return the thing to the person for the purposes of
             subsection (5), that:
               (a) its owner or a person who controls the thing cannot be
                    identified; or
               (b) the thing is abandoned; or
               (c) the thing otherwise cannot be returned to the person.
               Note:      Paragraph 251A(2)(b) covers the determination of a thing as a
                          prohibited thing if the Minister is satisfied that its possession or use in
                          an immigration detention facility might be a risk to the health, safety
                          or security of persons in the facility, or to the order of the facility.

        (6B) If a prohibited thing is forfeited under subsection (6A), the
             authorised officer may dispose of it in any way the officer thinks
             appropriate.
          (7) A person who is about to enter an immigration detention facility
              may be refused entry if he or she does not comply with a request
              under this section.