PNG demands clarity from Australia on ‘tense’ refugee camp

SYDNEY: Refugee advocates warned of an “extremely tense” situation at a Papua New Guinea (PNG) asylum seeker camp ahead of its closure, as Port Moresby demanded clarity from Australia on its plans for what happens next.

The Manus Island detention centre, which houses around 800 people, is due to be shuttered today after PNG’s Supreme Court ruled last year that holding people there was unconstitutional.

Water and power will be cut off at the centre, one of two Pacific camps where asylum seekers who try to enter Australia by boat are sent for processing under Canberra’s harsh immigration policy.

There are fears of a flashpoint situation if the men are forcibly moved to temporary transit facilities while their future is decided.

Amnesty International described the situation as “extremely tense” and stressed that all security workers “must abide by international obligations and refrain from excessive use of force”.

“The Australian and Papua New Guinean governments must take all necessary steps to prevent violence against refugees from the community and ensure their safety,” Amnesty Pacific researcher Kate Schuetze said.

PNG police commissioner Gari Baki said last week that there was a “small disgruntled faction among the refugees” and pleaded with locals not to make the transfers difficult.

Asylum seekers on Manus are barred from settling in Australia, even if they are found to be genuine refugees.

Instead, they have been given the option of moving to the other centre on the island of Nauru, returning to their homeland, settling in a third country like Cambodia or making a life in PNG.

While the United States has accepted a handful of them under a deal struck with former president Barack Obama, Canberra has had little success relocating those on Manus and Nauru anywhere else.

Many have voiced fears for their safety if they stayed on PNG amid reports they would not be welcomed in local neighbourhoods. — AFP