Manus asylum-seekers lying about threat video, Peter Dutton says

Peter Dutton accuses men on Manus of producing propaganda after they released video of locals allegedly threatening them | WATCH.

Federal Immigration Minister Peter Dutton says allegations that drunk PNG locals threatened Manus detainees were a “nonsense’’. Picture: AAP

The immigration minister has accused asylum-seekers on Manus Island of “lying” and producing propaganda after they released video footage allegedly showing locals threatening them.

“It is complete nonsense,” Liberal Peter Dutton told reporters in Melbourne today.

“Some of these people are lying. There is no question about that.”

The footage appears to show Papua New Guinea locals, possibly drunk, coming to their new accommodation and threatening them. One man looks to be holding a metal pipe or bar and brandishes it at asylum-seekers through a gate, shouting “you’re dead meat”.

Caution: strong language in video

Refugee Ijlal Haider told the ABC it wasn’t the first time locals had threatened people at the accommodation, where the men were forcibly moved after the official Manus Island immigration detention centre was closed down. But Mr Dutton dismissed this, again telling the men they should engage with authorities and accept any offer to be relocated to the US, or return to their own countries.

“If people are trying to twist the government’s arm or try to pump out this propaganda it is not going to work,” he said.

The federal government’s policy is to not allow any of the hundreds of the men to be resettled in Australia under any circumstances.

AAP