SCORES of Afghan asylum-seekers spent last night in the Darwin watchhouse after a dramatic mass breakout from the city's immigration centre, amid fears the incident could spark copycat escape bids from other detention facilities.
The 81 men pushed down two electrified fences - one inside the centre, the other on the perimeter, both carrying 11,000 vaults - at about 6.30am yesterday, before staging a 7 1/2 hour peaceful protest on the side of the Stuart Highway.
Five protesters were taken to hospital with minor injuries. Two men suffered from heat exhaustion as temperatures reached the mid-30s and police refused to provide the men with water.
The men eventually gave themselves up to police and were arrested at the scene, but no charges were immediately laid.
Immigration Minister Chris Evans said the Australian Federal Police would decide today if the men will be charged. Private contractor Serco, which is responsible for security at the immigration centre, may also be fined.
It is understood the men have been in detention - either in Darwin or on Christmas Island - for up to ten months.
One of the asylum-seekers, Kazemi Syed Zulfiqar, 28, told The Australian he feared he would be killed if he was forced to return to his homeland.
"If Afghanistan is safe, what are the Australian soldiers doing there? What are the Americans doing there?" he said. "If I go back there, they cut my head. I don't know about my family."
He defended the manner of the protest, and the damage done to the immigration centre's property. "We are here to raise awareness. We are not criminals. We are innocent," he said.
Opposition immigration spokesman Scott Morrison said the federal government's immigration policies were to blame for overcrowded detention centres.
"What we are seeing . . . is of great concern," he said. "This is a pressure-cooker situation."
But Senator Evans said the government's approach to the handling of Afghan refugees was consistent with the way asylum-seekers' claims are assessed in other western countries.
The breakout has also heightened concerns about growing unrest in the country's other detention centres, with WA Premier Colin Barnett expressing fears that yesterday's incident could spark a series of copycat escape attempts at facilities in WA. At Christmas Island's main detention centre yesterday, staff from the Department of Immigration and Citizenship gauged the mood by approaching detainees to discuss the protest.
The Australian understands news of the Darwin protest spread quickly among the detainees, who have access to television and internet. But the island's detention facilities, which now hold 2514 people, remained calm last night.
Additional reporting: Paige Taylor
