Refugee claims officers stormed centre, ordered transfer

National

REFUGEE Behrouz Boochani, a Kurdish-Iranian journalist, claims security officers stormed the decommissioned regional processing centre yesterday morning, ordering them to move out.
“Around 6.30 this morning (yesterday), many police and immigration officers came inside the camp,” Boochani said.
“They started shouting at us to leave. Hundreds of refugees gathered in Delta compound and some climbed on the roof.
“An Australian Federal Police officer was guiding more than 50 PNG police who shouted at people over a microphone:  Move, move.
“Officers threatened the refugees who were on the roof to come down and hand over their phones.
“They were very angry and shouting at the refugees to deliver their phones. The refugees were extremely scared and some were crying, but sitting peacefully and otherwise, completely silent.”
Boochani said the officers kept shouting and searching the rooms saying: Move, move, you only have an hour to move.
“Police and immigration were very aggressive and some of them were swearing at the refugees,” Boochani said.
“More police spread through the prison camp and around the prison, with navy officers outside.
“Those inside started to break the shelters and water tanks, taking people’s phones and searching rooms, taking the refugees there out by force.
“They destroyed everything: shelters, tanks, beds and all of our belongings. They put our belongings in the rubbish bins. The refugees are so scared.”