'I miss you': Serco guard sacked over text to refugee

A Serco guard at Christmas Island has been removed after an investigation into a misdirected text message.

A SENIOR employee at the Christmas Island Immigration Detention Centre has been removed after an investigation into a misdirected text message that was meant for a former detainee and read in part: "I miss you."

The firm contracted to guard Australia's immigration detention facilities, Serco, launched an investigation into the text message after a colleague of the senior employee received it one night in late July.

The message, seen by The Australian, said "I miss you" followed by the name of the former detainee, a young man who had recently been granted a visa and had moved to the mainland to live.

Serco received a complaint about the matter and immediately launched an investigation. The firm's Australian head of human resources, Phil Rogers, flew to the island to run an inquiry. The Australian has been told Mr Rogers's findings resulted in the male employee being escorted off the premises about three weeks ago.

Last night, Serco did not answer specific questions about the findings of the investigation, but it did issue a statement to The Australian. "Following an investigation the employee no longer works for Serco," a spokeswoman said. "All employees are subject to a code of conduct and are familiarised with this during induction."

Guards told The Australian that the employee's close association with the young asylum-seeker was a badly kept secret. "Everyone knew," one guard said.

Yesterday, the Department of Immigration and Citizenship said there was no suggestion the security and order of the centre was compromised at any stage in the months before the employee was investigated and left.