2 Feb 2015

Australian Greens worried for Manus Island asylum seekers

11:19 am on 2 February 2015

The Australian Greens Party says claims by Papua New Guinea's Prime Minister that most asylum seekers in the Manus Island detention camp will be sent home are very concerning.

Senator Sarah Hanson-Young says the PNG government is pre-empting the outcome of a floored and highly politicised refugee determination process.

She says the asylum claims haven't even been processed yet, but the PNG government has already decided to deport these vulnerable people to danger in coming weeks.

Senator Hanson-Young says forcefully returning refugees to danger is a potential death sentence and, if it is allowed to go ahead, many lives will be lost.

She says Prime Minister O'Neill's comments just go to show that the refugees should never have been sent to PNG in the first place.

She is calling on the Abbott government to bring the asylum seekers back to Australia, so their claims can be assessed properly.