Asylum seekers’ lawyer to seek order

 By DEMAS TIEN
THE asylum seekers detained at the Manus processing centre will be seeking orders for their release and return to Australia, and to be paid compensation for their illegal detention, their lawyer says.
Lawyer Ben Lomai told The National that they welcomed a substantive order granted by the Supreme Court to join as a party in Belden Namah’s case which was determined by a full court on April 26.
In Namah’s case, the court ruled that the detention of asylum seekers on Manus was unconstitutional and illegal.
It advised the Australian and Papua New Guinea governments to take necessary steps to cease and prevent the continued unconstitutional detention of the asylum seekers on Manus.
“Our instructions were to seek a release order and then compensation because the detention was illegal and therefore there should be nobody in detention anymore,” Lomai said.
“The orders are very clear. It’s taking too long and our clients are suffering. We are concerned because the rights of our clients have been breached.”
The two applications filed by the asylum seekers are on hold pending deliberation on Namah’s application.
Lawyer Laias Kandi, representing the Chief Migration Officer Rabura Mataio, told the Supreme Court on Tuesday that soon after the judgment on Namah’s case, certain steps had been taken to cease the detention of the asylum seekers.
He said the asylum seekers were given the chance to move around and talk to people.