A growing number of detainees is being transferred from Papua New Guinea’s Manus Island to Port Moresby with the understanding they will not be returning to the detention centre. The Australian-run facility is due to close by the end of October but the PNG government is worried it will be left to care for about Read more
Posts Tagged ‘Manus Island’
Manus Island refugees protest over moves to evict them
Thursday, August 3rd, 2017
A protest is continuing at the refugee prison camp on Papua New Guinea’s Manus Island. On Wednesday, speakers addressed a rally of about 900 detainees demonstrating against moves to evict them. Under PNG law the Australian-run facility must close by November after four years of operation. The protest was a response to cuts to water Read more
Amnesty says NZ should resettle Manus detainees
Thursday, May 25th, 2017New Zealand should make an offer to Papua New Guinea to resettle some of the asylum seekers Australia has detained on Manus Island, according to Amnesty International. A group of detainees has asked the New Zealand prime minister Bill English for asylum as they say PNG is incapable of resettling them when the detention centre Read more
Refugees given Hobson’s choice as detention centre closed down
Thursday, May 18th, 2017
Refugees detained on Manus Island have been warned not to revolt as Papua New Guinea authorities revealed plans for the gradual closure and demolition of the Australian detention centre. Refugees and detainees were told to consider their options, but not to leave it too late to make a decision. “No one will be resettled in Read more
Turnbull visit: important test for Bill English
Thursday, February 16th, 2017
Tomorrow Bill English has his first pyjama party with Australian PM Malcolm Turnbull in Queenstown. This style of diplomacy has been going on for a number of years. Whether it’s morning-after kayaking on Sydney harbour or taking in our own Southern Alps, the annual Prime Ministerial sleepover says a lot about the relationship between New Zealand Read more
Keeping asylum seekers in detention: $500,000 each
Tuesday, September 20th, 2016
What if our government really wanted to save money? As well as going after $6.7 billion in its omnibus savings bill, it could go after the billions more it costs to run our immigration detention centres: $9.2 billion in the past three years, $3.9 billion to $5.5 billion in the next four, according to the most complete Read more
Australian, New Zealand, Melanesian and Pacific Bishops condemn asylum seekers’ situation
Friday, August 26th, 2016
The body representing the Catholic Bishops of Oceania have joined the international outcry at what is happening to asylum seekers The Executive Committee of the Federation of Catholic Bishops Conferences of Oceania, Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands have issued a statement condemning what is happening to asylum seekers on Manus Read more
A modest proposal to end the cruelty in Nauru
Tuesday, August 23rd, 2016
On the weekend, I joined Robert Manne, Tim Costello and John Menadue in calling for an end to the limbo imposed on proven refugees on Nauru and Manus Island. I think this can be done while keeping the boats stopped. I think it ought be done. Appearing on the ABC’s 7.30 program last Thursday, after Read more
Closure of Manus Detention centre leaves refugees and asylum seekers stranded
Friday, August 19th, 2016
Australia’s migrant and refugee detention centre on Manus Island in Papua New Guinea is to be closed. With very few of the refugees willing to be resettled in Papua New Guinea, it is unclear where the refugees and asylum seekers will go after Manus closes. Australia’s immigration minister Peter Dutton has made it clear that Read more
The trauma of Australia’s asylum seekers
Tuesday, June 21st, 2016
“In my entire career of 43 years I have never seen more atrocity than I have seen in the incarcerated situations of Manus Island and Nauru.” Paul Stevenson has had a life in trauma. The psychologist and traumatologist has spent 40 years helping people make sense of their lives in the aftermath of disaster, of Read more