Self-harm stalls repatriation from Manus

10:46 am on 31 March 2017

A Lebanese asylum seeker due to be repatriated from Papua New Guinea is still on Manus Island after committing an act of self-harm at the airport.

A dispute between refugees and guards at the gate to Oscar compound.

Photo: Behrouz Boochani

The Kurdish journalist Behrouz Boochani reports the man cut himself on the hand and the back after boarding the plane yesterday for Port Moresby.

Mr Boochani said the man was returned to the Lorengau police station after receiving medical attention.

He said, on Tuesday, the Australian Border Force took the man into police custody from a meeting to discuss his voluntary repatriation.

About 200 out of the roughly 900 men detained by Australia on Manus Island have been classed as non-refugees and efforts to return them to their countries of origin are ongoing.

Mr Boochani said six other Lebanese detainees agreed to their repatriation earlier this week under pressure from the Australian Border Force.

He said they were offered $US25,000 to leave.

Mr Boochani said after four years of detention, 12 men from Bangladesh left Manus Island earlier this month under similar circumstances.

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