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| Papua New Guinea’s Police Storm Manus Island Refugee Camp | |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| SYDNEY, Australia — The authorities in Papua New Guinea confronted asylum seekers on Thursday inside a controversial detention center on Manus Island, ordering hundreds of detainees to leave and destroying their belongings in an attempt to end a standoff at the camp that has drawn international scrutiny to Australia’s offshore detention policy. | SYDNEY, Australia — The authorities in Papua New Guinea confronted asylum seekers on Thursday inside a controversial detention center on Manus Island, ordering hundreds of detainees to leave and destroying their belongings in an attempt to end a standoff at the camp that has drawn international scrutiny to Australia’s offshore detention policy. |
| Around 7 a.m. local time, detainees said, P.N.G. security forces stormed the former refugee camp and began tearing through the men’s shelters and makeshift water tanks, before announcing on a loudspeaker that the men had to leave for alternative facilities on the island. | Around 7 a.m. local time, detainees said, P.N.G. security forces stormed the former refugee camp and began tearing through the men’s shelters and makeshift water tanks, before announcing on a loudspeaker that the men had to leave for alternative facilities on the island. |
| “They’ve destroyed everything: our belongings, our shelters, our rooms and beds,” said Behrouz Boochani, a Kurdish asylum seeker and journalist in the center. “They said, ‘You must leave this prison camp.’ ” | “They’ve destroyed everything: our belongings, our shelters, our rooms and beds,” said Behrouz Boochani, a Kurdish asylum seeker and journalist in the center. “They said, ‘You must leave this prison camp.’ ” |
| Mr. Boochani said the authorities were confiscating mobile phones, after a number of refugees photographed and filmed the episode, making it available to international news media outlets. | Mr. Boochani said the authorities were confiscating mobile phones, after a number of refugees photographed and filmed the episode, making it available to international news media outlets. |
| “At this moment that I’m talking with you, I’m in the toilet,” said Mr. Boochani, who has regularly posted Twitter messages and written stories from the camp. “If I go outside, they’ll take my phone. It’s possible that if I go out, they’ll arrest me. I’m only worried that I won’t be able to write and tweet.” | “At this moment that I’m talking with you, I’m in the toilet,” said Mr. Boochani, who has regularly posted Twitter messages and written stories from the camp. “If I go outside, they’ll take my phone. It’s possible that if I go out, they’ll arrest me. I’m only worried that I won’t be able to write and tweet.” |
| The authorities did not immediately evict the men, but the aggressive campaign, confirmed by Australia’s immigration minister, represented an escalation of the conflict. It comes three weeks after Australia officially closed the camp on Oct. 31, cutting off electricity, food and water as hundreds of detainees refused to leave. | The authorities did not immediately evict the men, but the aggressive campaign, confirmed by Australia’s immigration minister, represented an escalation of the conflict. It comes three weeks after Australia officially closed the camp on Oct. 31, cutting off electricity, food and water as hundreds of detainees refused to leave. |
| Since 2013, Australia has paid neighboring Papua New Guinea to shelter migrants trying to reach Australia. | Since 2013, Australia has paid neighboring Papua New Guinea to shelter migrants trying to reach Australia. |
| Their defiance was partly an act of protest, but it was also motivated by complaints that alternative facilities were not ready, and because many of the men feared that they would be attacked or intimidated by local residents who have resisted Australia’s attempt to move the men closer to the island’s largest city, Lorengau. | Their defiance was partly an act of protest, but it was also motivated by complaints that alternative facilities were not ready, and because many of the men feared that they would be attacked or intimidated by local residents who have resisted Australia’s attempt to move the men closer to the island’s largest city, Lorengau. |
| On Thursday, Australia’s immigration minister, Peter Dutton, accused the detainees of ruining the detention center and wasting Australian taxpayer money. | On Thursday, Australia’s immigration minister, Peter Dutton, accused the detainees of ruining the detention center and wasting Australian taxpayer money. |
| “I think it’s outrageous that people are still there,” he told 2GB radio. “They’ve trashed the facility, they’re living in squalor.” | “I think it’s outrageous that people are still there,” he told 2GB radio. “They’ve trashed the facility, they’re living in squalor.” |
| He compared the situation to building a new house for tenants who then refuse to move in. “The Australian taxpayers have paid about $10 million for a new facility and we want people to move,” he said. | He compared the situation to building a new house for tenants who then refuse to move in. “The Australian taxpayers have paid about $10 million for a new facility and we want people to move,” he said. |
| Advocates for the detainees have questioned Mr. Dutton’s assessment — noting that photographic evidence has repeatedly shown that the alternative facilities are not ready, despite his claims that they were operational and adequate. | Advocates for the detainees have questioned Mr. Dutton’s assessment — noting that photographic evidence has repeatedly shown that the alternative facilities are not ready, despite his claims that they were operational and adequate. |
| “I find it very hard to believe anything that the immigration minister is saying at this stage — that’s based on the fact that I was at the camp on Manus Island last week,” said Jana Favero, director of advocacy at the Asylum Seeker Resource Center. “The only thing that’s making these men live in these conditions is the destruction that’s been brought on them by authorities. I can understand why they’re staying: because they’re going to be moved from one prison to another.” | “I find it very hard to believe anything that the immigration minister is saying at this stage — that’s based on the fact that I was at the camp on Manus Island last week,” said Jana Favero, director of advocacy at the Asylum Seeker Resource Center. “The only thing that’s making these men live in these conditions is the destruction that’s been brought on them by authorities. I can understand why they’re staying: because they’re going to be moved from one prison to another.” |
| Mr. Boochani said that the men were tired, and he demanded that the Australian government find a solution to the stalemate. | Mr. Boochani said that the men were tired, and he demanded that the Australian government find a solution to the stalemate. |
| “We’ve been in this prison camp for more than four years,” he said. “We are refugees, and we’ve been recognized as refugees by international law. Let us go to a third country. We don’t want to go to Australia.” | “We’ve been in this prison camp for more than four years,” he said. “We are refugees, and we’ve been recognized as refugees by international law. Let us go to a third country. We don’t want to go to Australia.” |