18 May 2017

Manus detention degraded to make refugees leave

From , 5:04 am on 18 May 2017

Documents leaked to the Guardian newspaper show conditions in Australia's refugee detention centre on Manus Island were deliberately degraded to make residents want to leave.

Plans for the centre's gradual closure were released this week by Papua New Guinea authorities and the leaked documents show that for a year companies have been trying to make settling in the PNG community a more attractive option for refugees than remaining at the centre.

The documents also show centre management were aware of community acrimony towards refugees and the danger of allowing them to mix with staff on the nearby naval base.

A lawyer from Australia's Human Rights Law Centre, Amy Frew, says the Good Friday attack on the centre by naval personnel shows Australia should not leave the refugees in PNG.

Manus Island Regional Processing Centre.

Manus Island Regional Processing Centre. Photo: Behrouz Boochani