What happened on Manus Island?

The Manus Island Regional Processing Centre was officially closed and handed back to the Papua New Guinea government on October 31 this year, but tensions remain high within the centre.

According to reports, there are still about 420 people who refuse to go to the new temporary holding center in Lorengau at the now-defunct regional processing center. However, these numbers change daily as people move in and out of the center.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) recently explain:

The abrupt termination of services and closure of regional processing centres requires the involvement of people who have been left in a very vulnerable state for many years… It is time to end this unconscionable human suffering.

How did we get here?

Offshore processing of asylum seekers who arrived by boat resumed in 2012, with single adult males being sent to Nauru, while families with children and some adult males were sent to Manus Island in Papua New Guinea.

However, Since July 2013 Only adult men have been transferred to Manus Island, and all asylum seekers there are currently men. Families with children, single women, couples and some single men are on Nauru.

Since July 2013, 1,523 Personnel have been transferred from Australia to Manus Island.

On October 31, when the Manus processing centre was closed, 690 people Inside the facility.

The number of asylum seekers on Manus Island has gradually decreased over the years as people have either accepted the packages or Return to country of originbeen Deported From Papua New Guinea, had settled in the United States or temporarily settled in Papua New Guinea. Six other people died.

Why is the Manus Regional Processing Centre closed?

On April 27 last year, the Supreme Court of Papua New Guinea ruled that the detention of the asylum seekers on Manus Island was Unconstitutional.

Following the decision, the Papua New Guinea government said people at the centre would be able to move freely in and out of the processing centre.

But until April 2017 The Australian and Papua New Guinea governments publicly announced that the processing center would close on October 31.

All service providers (including healthcare providers) and Australian government officials left the centre on October 31 this year, and the Papua New Guinea Defence Force was due to reoccupy the centre from November 1.

What options do people have left on Manus Island?

According to the Australian Government, people recognised as refugees by Papua New Guinea authorities have the following options:

• resettlement in Papua New Guinea;

• in Papua New Guinea awaiting possible resettlement in the United States;

• transferred to Nauru pending resettlement in the United States; or

• Return to the country from which they fled persecution.

Resettlement of Papua New Guinean refugees Slow and problematic Only a few choose to leave the processing centre and live elsewhere in Papua New Guinea.

The UN Refugee Agency has expressed concern about how refugees can “voluntarily” return to the countries they fled.

since US Settlement Agreement About a year ago, it was announced that 516 refugees were being taken to Manus. Mention Resettled in the United States.

Their cases are being reviewed and interviewed. 25 people have been resettled So far. However, the United States will decide for itself how many refugees to take in, and it is unclear when the next batch of refugees will be transferred to the United States.

At this point, it’s clear that most people want to wait and see if they will be resettled by the U.S. Refugees remaining in processing centers have supply Alternative accommodation is available at the East Lorengau Refugee Transition Centre (for up to 400 people) and the West Lorengau House (for up to 300 people). It is unclear whether these facilities can actually accommodate so many people.

UNHCR urge Oppose the forced transfer of refugees and asylum seekers from processing centres to these centres.

Papua New Guinea authorities determined the men were not refugees and provided them with supported accommodation at Hillside House in Lorengau.

However, the Papua New Guinea government hopes they will eventually return voluntarily, otherwise they will be deported.