24 Manus refugees quit centre say PNG police

1:51 pm on 9 November 2017

Papua New Guinea police say refugees are voluntarily leaving the Manus Island detention centre in Papua New Guinea for alternate facilities in the island's main town.

Manus Island refugees and one of their wells.

Manus Island refugees and one of their wells. Photo: supplied

Police media director chief superintendent Dominic Kakas said 24 had left the centre on Tuesday and 14 on Wednesday.

Mr Kakas said buses and an open back truck were used to transport the men from the Lombrum detention centre to Lorengau town.

He said the transfer was smooth and orderly and the men had resettled at new locations.

Sudanese refugee Abdul Aziz Adam said the men that left had health problems and had run out of medication.

"The governments have not allowed in any doctors to help these men. They cannot bear their pain and they decided to go outside, so no-one forced them. The majority are still here. About 550 men are still inside the detention centre," he said.

Kurdish journalist and refugee Behrouz Boochani said of the 14 men that left on Wednesday two had returned to the centre.

He estimated about 570 men were still occupying the decommissioned prison camp which closed on October 31 with the disconnection of services and utilities.

The men are protesting their indefinite detention amid fears of moving closer to island's community.

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