Ornithologists are up in arms over Australia's plans to build a giant camp for would-be immigrants on Christmas Island in the Indian Ocean. They say the camp, due to be completed later this year, will threaten the last breeding colony of the Abbott's booby, one of the world's most endangered birds. Contracts for construction of the "Immigration Reception and Processing Centre", which will house up to 1200 asylum seekers and illegal immigrants, were signed by the Australian government last week. Australia has come under strong international pressure to implement a more humane policy for would-be immigrants. But immigration minister Philip Ruddock says that the centre will help.keep unwanted immigrants out of the country. Citing the "national interest", Australia's minister for the environment, David Kemp, exempted the project from a formal environmental impact assessment, which would normally be required under Australian federal law.
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