Australia to close PNG detention centre
Australia has agreed to the closure of the Manus Island immigration detention centre following talks with Papua New Guinea.
But Immigration Minister Peter Dutton says none of the asylumseekers will be settled in Australia.
Dutton met PNG Prime Minister Peter O’Neill in Port Moresby yesterday for talks about shutting down the centre, following a PNG Supreme Court ruling it was illegal.
O’Neill said a number of options for closing down the centre were being canvassed and further announcements would be made soon.
“Both Papua New Guinea and Australia are in agreement that the centre is to be closed,” he said.
Dutton said it has been the Government’s long-standing position to work with PNG to close the centre.
The Government would support people settling into PNG or return to their country of origin.
“Our position, confirmed again today with PNG, is that no one from Manus Island regional processing centre will ever be settled in Australia,” he said.
O’Neill said he was satisfied that officials from both sides were making Falls out of use. Government prefers Nauru Gillard Government reopens Manus and Nauru centres
PNG Supreme Court finds Manus centre to be illegal and unconstitutional, forcing Australia to seek other plans for 850 detainees progress but it was important the process was not rushed.
“This must take into account the interests of the people of Papua New Guinea and the wellbeing of asylumseekers and refugees.
“The Supreme Court has delivered its ruling and our Government is complying with this decision.”— AAP the Middle East and allow the Russian air force to cut flight times and increase bombing payloads.
The head of Iran’s National Security Council was quoted by state news agency IRNA as saying Tehran and Moscow were now sharing facilities.
Both countries back Assad. Russia, after a delay, has supplied Iran with its S-300 missile air defence system, evidence of a growing partnership that has helped turn the tide in Syria’s civil war and is testing United States influence in the Middle East.
Relations between Tehran and Moscow have grown warmer since Iran reached agreement last year with global powers to curb its nuclear programme in return for the lifting of United Nations, European Union and US financial sanctions.
President Vladimir Putin visited in November and the two countries regularly discuss military planning for Syria.