How long are refugees asylum seekers and boat people kept in detention centers?

Refugees and asylum seekers are kept in detention centres while authorities check to see if their claims for asylum are just and true. The must also pass character and health checks before receiving visas and being entitled to the basic rights to which all humans are entitled, such as monetary benefits when required (from organisations such as Centrelink) and free health care (from organisations such as Medicare).

The actual time refugees spend in detentions centres varies according to how long it takes authorities to perform the aforementioned checks. It can range from weeks to years as there is not set limit on the length of time they can be detained for.