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Manus Island: detainees arrested amid conflicting reports of unrest Manus Island: asylum seekers escape from detention centre after becoming 'agitated'
(about 3 hours later)
Seven asylum seekers held in the Manus Island detention centre have been arrested over a fight, a Papua New Guinea MP has said, dismissing reports of a mass breakout at the centre. The immigration minister says dozens of asylum seekers escaped from the Manus Island detention centre in Papua New Guinea on Sunday evening after they became agitated during a meeting about their future resettlement prospects.
Refugee advocates reported on Sunday night that protests by detainees had escalated and a number of people had broken out of the facility. Approximately 35 people broke out of the centre at about 6.15pm but were caught and returned, Scott Morrison said.
However a local MP, Ron Knight, a long-time supporter of the centre and PNG’s deal with Australia to operate it, told Australian Associated Press he had been informed by PNG immigration that the asylum seekers were arrested after a fight, and reports of a breakout are “BS”. Detainees became “agitated” and began chanting during the meeting, Morrison told media on Monday afternoon. Non-essential staff were evacuated after the situation escalated, and detainees damaged some light stands, glass panels, fences and bunk beds.
“There was a fight late yesterday afternoon amongst themselves. They have been arrested and will face court this week,” said Knight. By Monday morning eight detainees had been arrested and 19 had attended a clinic for injuries – none of which were life-threatening, Morrison said.
On Sunday the Refugee Action Coalition (RAC) said they’d received reports the riot squad had been mobilised in response to protests. At the time of Morrison’s press conference, five people remained at the International Health and Medical Services (IHMS) clinic. A number of G4S guards sustained minor injuries.
“There have been daily protests on Manus Island involving hundreds of asylum seekers since 25 January as frustrations have increased over delays in processing and uncertainty about their future,” said the statement. Refugee advocates had reported on Sunday night that protests by detainees had escalated and a number of people had broken out of the facility. On Sunday the Refugee Action Coalition (RAC) said it had received reports the riot squad had been mobilised in response to protests.
A local doctor was also told about an incident and was warned to expect people with injuries at the local hospital, the ABC reported, however Dr Otto Numan said no detainees or staff had been brought in. “There have been daily protests on Manus Island involving hundreds of asylum seekers since 25 January as frustrations have increased over delays in processing and uncertainty about their future,” it said in a statement.
The office of the minister for immigration, Scott Morrison, confirmed on Monday morning “a disturbance” had taken place. Morrison dismissed reports that detainees revolted because they had been told they would not be settled in PNG. “I’m advised that those reports are false. The department understands that during the meeting on February 16 the transferees were advised by the PNG ISCA that those found to be refugees would be offered settlement in PNG.”
Morrison said staff at the centre were accounted for and safe, and that there were reports PNG police had arrested a number of detainees. It was confirmed that a third country option would not be offered and they would be offered no assistance by either PNG or Australia in seeking settlement in a third country.
“Service providers have also reported a number of transferees have received medical attention and that there has been some minor property damage at the centre,” he added. However, Morrison conceded that it was still undecided whether people would live on Manus Island or somewhere else, once given refugee status.
Morrison also dismissed claims the asylum seekers had been told they would not be settled in PNG, saying he’d been advised such claims were “false”. “All of those issues are still being worked through with the PNG government,” he said.
The RAC said late on Sunday the protest escalated after detainees were told they would not be settled in PNG. However the group issued a correction a short time later, saying detainees had been informed by Immigration Department officials they would not be leaving PNG, and “that if they wanted to go somewhere else other than PNG, they would have to arrange this with other countries themselves”. Processing of claims is believed to have started, but no claims have been finalised yet.
PNG will seek help from Australia in deciding whether to resettle refugees in the country, the foreign minister, Rimbink Pato, told parliament last week. Pato said officials had begun processing asylum seekers. However the country does not have a class of visa to cover refugees. “The issue of resettlement is a further challenge, that’s why we’ve been moving so quickly to establish that accommodation on Manus that provides a place for people to be accommodated post-assessment if they are found to be refugees,” Morrison said.
There are about 1300 asylum seekers on Manus Island. The accommodation was not restricted to temporary or short-term housing, he said, adding that people being resettled there was a possibility, “but those details haven’t been confirmed”.
He said the reason it was taking so long to confirm details on the processing and resettling of the approximately 1,300 people on Manus Island was because “the previous government left us with a blank piece of paper.”
In response, the opposition immigration spokesman, Richard Marles, criticised the secrecy of the government, saying the Manus Island detention centre had had a bigger impact on reducing the number of asylum boats than anything else and Australians need to be confident it was being run properly.
“This is now the second serious incident which has occurred at the Manus Island detention facility since the Abbott government came to power,” Marles said in Melbourne. “We need to hear from the government what steps they are going to take to ensure that this kind of incident never happens again.”
PNG will seek help from Australia in deciding whether to resettle refugees in the country, the foreign minister, Rimbink Pato, told parliament last week. Pato said officials had begun processing asylum seekers. However, the country does not have a class of visa to cover refugees.
Last month the PNG supreme court ruled the constitutionality of the agreement between PNG and Australia to process asylum seekers on Manus Island is open to challenge by the country’s opposition leader.Last month the PNG supreme court ruled the constitutionality of the agreement between PNG and Australia to process asylum seekers on Manus Island is open to challenge by the country’s opposition leader.
The five-judge panel also said asylum seekers should be made aware they were legally allowed to appeal against their detention, querying whether any knew this because none had approached the courts despite the process being made deliberately easy. Guardian Australia understands the delay in processing refugee claims it is at least partly due to a lack of legal aid services, no longer provided by Australia. The five-judge panel also said asylum seekers should be made aware they were legally allowed to appeal against their detention, querying whether any knew this because none had approached the courts, despite the process being made deliberately easy. Guardian Australia understands the delay in processing refugee claims is at least partly due to a lack of legal aid services, no longer provided by Australia.
The court also criticised two PNG authorities which it said should be taking a greater interest in human rights issues at the processing centre.The court also criticised two PNG authorities which it said should be taking a greater interest in human rights issues at the processing centre.
Morrison confirmed the deal between Australia and PNG to house and process asylum seekers on Manus Island remained the same as the agreement made by the previous government.