Three-Week Standoff Ends as Manus Island Refugees Are Removed

While the refugees have been removed, the dire situation continues in Manus Island.

Papua New Guinean (PNG) authorities have reportedly entered the Manus Island detention centre and removed the last 328 male refugees who remained in the centre after it was shut down at the end of October.

The refugees refused to leave for alternative accommodation because they fear for their safety in the new accommodation, which is not ready, and are uncertain of how much longer it will take to process them.

One of the refugees on Manus Island and an award-winning journalist, Behrouz Boochani, has been Tweeting about life at the detention centre since it was abandoned by authorities. Yesterday, he was allegedly arrested for his reporting on the PNG police. 

He has since been released and is back on Twitter informing the world of the violence that is happening on Manus Island as the PNG police began removing the refugees from the camp.

WARNING: Video may disturb.

The PNG Police denied that any refugees were violently removed, insisting it went smoothly. The Royal PNG Constabulary told SBS News that "nobody was forced, nobody was handcuffed and so on."

It comes after mounting pressure by activist groups like GetUp! as well as the United Nations, who have been urging the Australian government to take responsibility for the well-being of the refugees.

"We call on the Australian Government, as the party who interned the men in the first place, to immediately provide protection, food, water and other basic services," United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights spokesman, Rupert Colville said. 

"We urge the Australia Government to transfer the men to mainland Australia where their claims can be processed."

Australia's Immigration Minister, Peter Dutton, refused to budge on his position despite the UN declaring that the alternative accommodation on Manus Island was not ready.

"These people can go back to their countries of origin if they have been found not to be refugees or they can settle in PNG like many people have done before them," Dutton said.

While the detention saga seems to have been resolved, there are things you can do to help the refugees who will now be relocated to unfinished accommodation. If you have some money to spare this payday, you can donate to the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre, which is helping on the ground. You can also call your local MP to get them to understand how serious the crisis is.

They are small steps but they could count towards an amicable solution in an otherwise dark situation.

Photo: iStock.com/kodda