The lavish casino resort of the Christmas Island is being negotiated upon by the Federal Government to help home the asylum seekers equipping it with the staff required for them. This is obviously a multi-million dollar negotiation.
Nearly 750 asylum seekers and 300 custody staff are already in the island. The available accommodation in the island is not sufficient. Therefore the resort in this tiny island is being negotiated to make for the accommodation.
The island is located only 50 minutes from Jakarta and it was the casino meant for high roller gamblers who used to jet in there. However, it had been closed down for 11 years now.
The manager of the isolated casino resort stated that the owner of the resort David Kwon has been on talks for quite long with the Federal Department of Immigration in requiring them to help with reducing the crowd in the island.
It is being stated that the resort will be mainly used for the purposes of serving the detention staff, the police and the immigration officers. However, the probability of the asylum seekers occupying the resort has not been ruled out.
The casino consists of 156 rooms which are fully furnished and of that 52 of them are with ocean views. The 2 state-of-art kitchens were taken on lease by the government in 2002 to help with preparing food for the asylum seekers.
Reliable sources report that some of the flats of the ownership might be sold out to the Immigration department for a $7 million to home the asylum seekers. Though 6 of those blocks were usable a renovation of 300,000 is estimated.
The recent boat which arrived in the island consisted of 194 people who were taken to the detention center. However, options are still being investigated before the eventual decision making.
Garry Sputnim is a seasoned journalist and storyteller with over a decade of experience in the trenches of global news. With a keen eye for uncovering stories that resonate, Alex has reported from over 30 countries, bringing light to untold narratives and the human faces behind the headlines. Specializing in investigative journalism, Garry has a knack for technology and social justice issues, weaving compelling narratives that bridge tech and humanity. Outside the newsroom, Garry is an avid rock climber and podcast host, exploring stories of resilience and innovation.