Asylum seekers: Immigration minister defiant despite PNG rejection of Manus Island

IMMIGRATION Minister declared illegal arrivals would not be resettled in Australia despite PNG Supreme Court ruling Manus Island is unlawful.

• PNG COURT RULES MANUS ISLAND UNLAWFUL
• TENSIONS AT MANUS ISLAND DETENTION CENTRE
• AUSTRALIA MUST NOT LET ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS IN

IMMIGRATION Minister Peter Dutton last night declared illegal arrivals would not be resettled in Australia despite the Supreme Court of Papua New Guinea ruling the Manus Island detention centre is unlawful.

A five-man bench deemed the centre breached the PNG constitution, leaving the future of 850 men at the facility in limbo.

The ruling has highlighted the need for Australia to negotiate a “third country option” to relocate refugees. Negotiations with the Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia are believed to be ongoing.

The government is now giving consideration to negotiating a deal, similar to Nauru, where refugees could be allowed to come and go in an open centre arrangement.

Inside Manus Island / Picture: Refugee Action Coalition Sydney

Australia provides funding for the offshore processing centre, but it is ultimately controlled by the PNG government and any decision about the future of the centre is a decision of the PNG government.

Mr Dutton said the ruling would not change the Turnbull government’s tough stance on boat arrivals, revealing Australia’s national security was his priority: “We will not retreat from what has been a tough but fair policy.

“People who have attempted to come here illegally by boat and are now in the Manus facility will not be settled in Australia. Those in Manus Island Regional Processing Centre, found to be refugees are able to resettle in PNG.”

Mr Dutton said the Manus Island agreement had been negotiated by the Labor government. The PNG government has previously said its reputation had been damaged by the centre.

He said he would work with the PNG government at a range of contingency options which Australia had planned pending an adverse finding.

Shadow immigration spokesman, Richard Marles, said Mr Dutton needed to fly to PNG to find a solution.

“This government has failed to properly manage its offshore processing network,’’ Mr Marles said.

Manus Island detention / Picture: Refugee Action Coalition Sydney

“The Manus facility was established to serve as a circuit breaker, to end the capacity for people smugglers to market the dangerous journey to Australia. The agreement Labor struck in 2013 was signed for 12 months.”

More than 50,000 people arrived on 800 boats during Labor’s period in government.

Greens leader Richard Di Natale said the ruling was an opportunity for Malcolm Turnbull to soften the refugee policy: “It’s an opportunity for (him) to show he is different from Tony Abbott.’’