PNG offers to resettle remaining Manus Island asylum-seekers

The government has welcomed PNG’s offer to the remaining Manus Island asylum-seekers.

Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton. Picture: Kym Smith

The Morrison government has welcomed Papua New Guinea’s decision to offer the remaining asylum-seekers seekers on Manus Island the opportunity to resettle in the island’s capital of Port Moresby.

A Department of Home Affairs spokeswoman today confirmed PNG’s new voluntary resettlement offer and said refugees would be provided with accommodation and support services if they chose to relocate.

“The Australian government is aware that the Papua New Guinea (PNG) Immigration and Citizenship Authority has offered the regional processing cohort on Manus Island the opportunity to transfer to Port Moresby,” the Department of Home Affairs spokeswoman said in a statement.

People should never forget that we didn’t come to PNG by choice, we’ve been exiled to this place. Port Moresby is the same exile as Manus. We face many problems in Moresby that we had to escape at home.@amnesty

— Behrouz Boochani (@BehrouzBoochani) August 19, 2019

“The Australian government supports PNG’s efforts to resolve the regional processing caseload through this genuine offer.”

According to a notice from PNG’s Immigration and Citizenship Authority, posted by Iranian journalist and asylum-seekers seeker Behrouz Boochani on his Twitter page yesterday, those that take up the offer will not be subject to further detention.

“Relocation to Port Moresby is not permanent settlement in PNG. ICA continues to encourage refugees to consider settling in PNG,” the notice, on ICA letterhead, reads.

“Refugees are not subject to immigration detention and will not be detained by ICA.”

The statement says that anyone who is transferred will be provided with a one-off financial relocation support payment as well as a weekly allowance, and their applications for US resettlement won’t be affected.

It comes a month after PNG Prime Minister James Marape pushed prime minister Scott Morrison for a timeline on shutting down the offshore processing regimen on Manus Island.

But while Boochani, who has been detained on Manus for six years, said the move would signal the end of the Manus “prison camp”, he said he expected PNG to continue its “political game” in the island’s capital.

“The government has officially asked 120 men on Manus to transfer to Port Moresby,” he tweeted. “It means they will close Manus prison camp and continue this political game in PNG’s capital city,” he wrote.

Refugee Co-ordinator at Amnesty International Australia, Graham Thoms, welcomed the news and commended PNG for making the offer.

“It is great news that these men, who have been trapped on Manus for six years are being offered the chance to escape their island prison and settle in Port Moresby,” he said. “The PNG Government are ultimately doing the right thing in welcoming these people into their community and giving them freedom from detention while a solution is found.”

But Boochani lashed Amnesty’s response, describing it as “unacceptable”.

“Never forget that we can’t live in this country,” he tweeted, saying PNG was still supporting Australian “crimes against humanity.”