Manus Island detainees told to consider options
PAPUA NEW GUINEA - The closure of the Manus Island immigration detention centre has begun, detainees on the island have been told, with demolition of the first compounds to start this month. Yesterday a Papua New Guinea immigration official told detainees to “consider your options” as migration and police officers had already commenced the shutdown process. The centre will be completely shut down, and all detainees removed, by 31 October. “Foxtrot will be first compound to close, starting with M Block on 28 May. You cannot stay at the regional processing centre,” the official said in a recording obtained by Guardian Australia. “You need to consider your options. No-one will be resettled in Australia.” “Refugees can move to accommodation in PNG community or temporarily relocate to East Lorengau Refugee Transit Centre, or return home voluntarily with reintegration assistance, or move to third country where you have a right to reside. “Non-refugees can return home voluntarily with reintegration assistance or be removed by PNG by government of Papua New Guinea without any reintegration assistance. Non-refugees have no other options.” About 700 of the 800 men have been formally recognized as refugees. The remainder have either had their claims denied or are still being assessed or appealed. Australia will not assist with voluntary returns beyond August 30. Currently, Australia is offering up to $20,000 to refugees and asylum seekers to abandon their protection claims and return home.
The US deal for an as-yetunknown number of refugees to be resettled in America will continue the official said. Interviews with the departments of homeland and state would take place elsewhere in PNG, after the detention centre was closed. Extra police have been deployed to the Manus detention centre following a shooting rampage by drunken soldiers on Good Friday and in expectation of resistance to the forced move from the centre. But the official’s message on Monday carried a thinly-veiled threat about opposing being moved from the detention centre. “Remember that resettlement countries always consider a person’s history of behavior before reconsidering them for resettlement including both good and bad behavior.”
(Theguardian.com)