Tuesday deadline for centre closure

By Charles Moi
The closure date of the Manus regional processing centre at the Lombrum Naval Base was agreed to by the governments of PNG and Australia, according to acting chief migration officer Solomon Kantha.
He told reporters in Port Moresby on Wednesday night that the closure coincided with the expiry of the contract by Broadspectrum – the company contracted by the Australian government to manage the centre.
“The centre will close (on Tuesday) and the transferees will have to move to new locations,” Kantha said.
He did not say where the asylum seekers would be transferred to.
But according to Kurdish Iran journalist Behrouz Boochani, officials at the centre had advised them that they would be moved to three new locations – the East Lorengau camp, Hillside House and West House camp.
Boochani, who is among about 800 remaining at the centre, said the Australian government’s offshore facility was a failure and it should take all refugees to a safe place.
“Human Rights Watch released a report and a video clip about Australian offshore refugee detention and the situation on Manus,” Boochani said.
“The publication of this report from a respected human rights organisation shows how the Australian government is violating human rights in Manus and Nauru and how the situation is hard for the refugees.
“This report is important because at this moment the refugees in Manus are under a lot of pressure to leave the centre and accept to live in danger.
“The report shows why we are resisting relocation into Lorengau town and gives us strength because we know that the world is watching Australia.
“I am worried that if they send our people (asylum seekers) out there, there might be conflict between refugees and local people.”
Lawyer Ben Lomai, representing the asylum seekers said he would file a court order next week seeking to have food and water supplied to the centre beyond Tuesday.
The PNG Supreme Court on April 26 last year ruled that the detention of asylum seekers on Manus was unconstitutional and illegal, and advised the Australian and PNG governments to take necessary steps to cease and prevent the continued unconstitutional and illegal detention of the asylum seekers on Manus.
The deadline for its closure is Tuesday, Oct 31.