Manus Island: Peter Dutton blames refugee advocates for making asylum seeker stand-off worse
HOLLYWOOD star Russell Crowe has weighed in on the Manus Island stand-off, as Peter Dutton blamed refugee advocates for making the ‘difficult’ situation worse.
WARNING: EXPLICIT LANGUAGE
RUSSELL CROWE has weighed in on the Manus Island stand-off as Immigration Minister Peter Dutton blamed refugee advocates for making the ‘difficult’ situation worse.
The Hollywood actor has taken to Twitter to condemn the situation surrounding the offshore detention centre, where hundreds of men have barricaded themselves inside and refused to leave since it was officially closed two days ago.
Crowe dubbed the centre “a nation’s shame” and “disgraceful”, saying the men had lived in fear and despair.
He also suggested he could find a home and work for at least six of the men who are desperate to leave Papua New Guinea.
“I’m sure there’d be other Australians who would do the same,” he said.
Manus. A Nations shame. Lives held in limbo . Lives lived in fear & despair . It's fucking disgraceful
— Russell Crowe (@russellcrowe) November 1, 2017
I've thought about this . I believe I could house and find jobs for 6. I'm sure there'd be other Australians who would do the same
— Russell Crowe (@russellcrowe) November 1, 2017
About 600 asylum seekers and refugees have barricaded themselves inside the complex, which officially closed on Tuesday, fearful they will be attacked if they venture outside.
Staff have abandoned the camp, power and running water has been cut off, and the last food packs were distributed on Sunday night.
“We are expecting that someone attack us ... nobody is here to protect us,” Iranian refugee Behrouz Boochani told AAP.
“Starvation is pressuring and making the situation so worse ... we have no access to anything to survive.”
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Arden has today reissued the nation’s offer to resettle 150 of the asylum seekers
She told New Zealand media that the plight of those on Manus would likely be discussed when she meets Malcolm Turnbull for the first time on Sunday.
“I think anyone would look at a situation like that and see the human face of what is an issue that New Zealand is in the lucky position of not having to struggle with, and Australia has,” she said.
Human rights lawyers have lodged an injunction in the Papua New Guinea Supreme Court which would effectively force the centre to reopen.
The case is expected to be heard today.
The Lombrum centre was forced to close after the court ruled last year that Australia’s detention of refugees and asylum seekers there was illegal and unconstitutional.
The detainees are being urged to move to three alternative locations, which Immigration Minister Dutton insists are much better facilities than the decommissioned centre, despite claims at least one of the sites is still under construction.
“The advocates who are here telling them not to move, they are not doing those people any favours,” he told the Nine Network this morning.
“I want to close Manus Island as quickly as possible.
“It doesn’t help when you have got the Greens telling people not to engage and move.
“It makes a difficult situation even worse.”
The men spent the night in complete darkness on Wednesday as power was cut and drank what rainwater they had collected earlier in the day.
There’s also a threat of dysentery because the sewage system has been cut off and the toilets are full.
Mr Boochani said the pressure was so high one of his countrymen had self-harmed.
The man’s condition is stable, he said, after refugees rendered first aid because medical personnel are no longer at the centre.
There are fears of more self-harm incidents as the stand-off develops, especially as medications such as antidepressants may soon run low.
Although there’s an increased PNG military build up outside the centre, immigration officials have said they won’t be removing the men by force.
Readers seeking support and information about suicide prevention can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14.
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