Robinson may visit Aussie refugee centre

The Australian government says it will allow a United Nations envoy to inspect its most controversial detention centre.

A spokesman for Foreign Minister Alexander Downer says an envoy sent by the UN human rights commissioner Mary Robinson would be allowed to visit the Woomera centre.

The Woomera camp was the scene last month of a two-week hunger strike by more than 200 mainly Afghan refugees asylum seekers who were protesting conditions at the camp.

They also demanded their asylum applications be processed more quickly.

Australia incarcerates all illegal immigrants while their asylum applications are processed - which can take up to three years.

Human rights groups in Australia and across the world have condemned the policy and in particular the Woomera camp but Prime Minister John Howard says Woomera is kept deliberately spartan to act as a deterrent to other would-be illegal immigrants.

Earlier this month, Ms Robinson met Mr Downer in Geneva to discuss the mandatory detention policy and during the meeting asked if a special envoy could visit Woomera.

"There are certainly human rights concerns, very serious human rights concerns that I would like to have clarified," Mr Robinson.