And some counsellors report that boat journeys are more dangerous than in the past, with many asylum seekers suffering continuing effects of the often-deadly trips to Australia.

But an independent evaluation of community detention - commissioned by the immigration department and obtained by Fairfax - shows many felt they had no choice but to take the risk.

''Participants explaining the difficulty of their journey emphasised that they believe there was no choice for them but to undertake the … journey … in spite of the inherent high risks,'' the report said.

''Many, including family groups, expressed that it was preferable to die together at sea than to stay where they had been.''

The report was commissioned to assess the success of community detention programs, which Labor dramatically expanded in October 2010. (In June 2010, 30 people were living in community detention, that rose to 1203 just a year later.)

At the time, then prime minister Julia Gillard announced the government would release the ''majority'' of children into community detention, and ''a significant number'' of vulnerable families into community detention by June 2011.

But just over one-third of asylum seeker children are now living in community detention, despite Labor's repeated assurances that it would release children into the community at the earliest opportunity.

According to the most recent figures available - compiled last Friday - of the 3190 children in detention in Australia, 1348 were in community detention.

The report also shows that the community detention experiment has been overwhelmingly successful in managing the record numbers of asylum seekers.

''We didn't see any evidence that there was a higher risk of escape or non-compliance in community detention,'' the research leader, the University of New South Wales' Professor Ilan Katz said.

''And among our more interesting findings was - despite people feeling unsure about refugees more broadly - how accepted people felt by the community once they were living in the community.''

The report found those in community detention suffered less mental harm than those in enclosed detention environments. The benefit was of particular benefit to unaccompanied minors.

The report also showed:

■ One area identified for improvement were communication and decision-making. Asylum seekers were often frustrated with the level of communication during transition into, and out of, community detention.

■ Between October 2010 and October 2012, 98 per cent of asylum seekers who left community detention were granted either a bridging visa or protection visa.

■ Most struggled with the cost of living, with asylum seekers on bridging visas eligible for the equivalent of just 60 per cent of Centrelink benefits (or 70 per cent for those who arrived before August 13, 2012).

■ One of the greatest benefits of community detention was the freedom to cook their own culturally appropriate food.

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