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[webfact]

U.N. refugee commissioner says Australia must stop 'unfolding humanitarian crisis' in PNG

By Colin Packham

 

An undated image released on November 1, 2017 shows detainees fixing a perimeter fence at the Manus Island detention centre in Papua New Guinea. Refugee Action Coalition/Handout via REUTERS

 

SYDNEY (Reuters) - The U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees said Australia must take immediate action to stop an "unfolding humanitarian emergency" that sees 600 asylum seekers barricaded inside an abandoned detention centre in Papua New Guinea without food or running water.

 

The detainees in the Manus Island Centre have for two days defied attempts by Australia and Papua New Guinea to close the camp, saying they fear violent reprisals from the local community if they are moved to other "transit centres".

 

With food all but exhausted, many of the men are beginning to show the ill-effects of two-days without adequate nourishment, an environment the U.N. refugee commissioner said Australia must urgently resolve with Papua New Guinea.

 

"Australia remains responsible for the well-being of all those moved to Papua New Guinea until adequate, long-term solutions outside the country are found," the U.N. body said in a statement on Thursday.

 

The Manus centre has been a key part of Australia's controversial "Sovereign Borders" immigration policy, which refuses to allow asylum seekers arriving by boat to reach its shores, detaining them in camps in Papua New Guinea and Nauru in the South Pacific.

 

The United Nations and rights groups have for years cited human rights abuses among detainees in the centres.

 

Papua New Guinea's High Court ruled last year that the Manus centre, first opened in 2001, was illegal and the camp was scheduled to close on Oct. 31, when security staff withdrew.

 

The 600 men in the camp have no water and power after utilities to the camp were cut off on Wednesday.

Desperate to source alternative supplies, dozens of men worked during the night, using wooden poles to dig deep holes to find water, using torches to light their task, photos supplied to Reuters showed.

 

Without running water, advocates fear a rapid decline in sanitary conditions of the camp.

 

Behrouz Boochani, a Kurdish journalist from Iran, said the men were not on a hunger strike and called on the Red Cross and Medicines Sans Frontiers (MSF) to provide help.

 

MSF said in a statement to Reuters that it was "deeply concerned and saddened" and that Australia and Papua New Guinea are responsible for the care to the detainees.

 

Australia has said the men should move to new "transit centres" and has pledged A$250 million ($193 million) worth of food and security for the next 12 months.

 

But the U.N. refugee commissioner said one of the new facilities was still a makeshift camp composed of shipping containers. "Containers are surrounded by mud and do not have electrical or water connections as yet," it said.

 

The relocation of the men is designed as a temporary measure, allowing the United States time to complete vetting of refugees as part of a refugee swap deal.

 

Those not accepted by the United States have the option of being resettled in Papua New Guinea, but none wish to stay, or another developing country.

 

Lawyers for the detainees have filed a suit in Papua New Guinea's Supreme Court to prevent the Manus camp's closure and for services to be returned. A ruling is expected later on Thursday, although it has been delayed for more than two days already.

 

Most of the detainees come from war-torn countries such as Afghanistan, Iran, Myanmar, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Syria.

 

($1 = 1.2950 Australian dollars)

 

(Reporting By Jane Wardell and Colin Packham; Additional reporting by Will Ziebell; Editing by Cynthia Osterman and Michael Perry)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-11-02

[Baerboxer]

 

600 - so not a huge number. Anyone of the wealthy Gulf states could easily absorb them. All those states have large numbers of migrant workers so finding a job for them should be easy. They will be in a country of their own religion and more close to their own culture.

 

So why doesn't the UN commissioner lobby those countries?

 

Those countries keep refugees like this well away. But he wants them resettled in non Muslim countries and looked after!

[RichardColeman]

Muslim people should settle in Muslim countries. 

[Dumbastheycome]

I  am still  trying  to work out  how it  is  Australia  get  to   "house"   refugees  in  PNG  in the  first  place?

Is  PNG   another   state  of  Australia or  has  Australia   taken on the   US  knack  of  annexing  territory  at   convenience?

[Credo]

4 hours ago, RichardColeman said:

Muslim people should settle in Muslim countries. 

Like maybe the UK?

 

[farcanell]

14 hours ago, Dumbastheycome said:

I  am still  trying  to work out  how it  is  Australia  get  to   "house"   refugees  in  PNG  in the  first  place?

Is  PNG   another   state  of  Australia or  has  Australia   taken on the   US  knack  of  annexing  territory  at   convenience?

Very basically.....They pay the local governments to operate detention centers outside of Australian borders to prevent asylum seekers from being granted rights of Australian citizens / residents.

 

21 hours ago, webfact said:

Australia has said the men should move to new "transit centres" and has pledged A$250 million ($193 million) worth of food and security for the next 12 months.

The asylum seekers will still be cared for by the Australian government, once they relocate to a new facility.... staying illegally in a non functioning facility is their choice

 

21 hours ago, webfact said:

But the U.N. refugee commissioner said one of the new facilities was still a makeshift camp composed of shipping containers. "Containers are surrounded by mud and do not have electrical or water connections as yet," it said.

Sounds much like the camps I had to stay in, whilst working legally in PNG.... I wasn’t happy either... they need to suck it up and make the best of Australia’s largess.... or go home

 

at days end, as the article states, they are awaiting vetting to enter the US, not Australia,.... so the Australians are the good guys here, whilst the refugees are demononstrating an unwillingness to follow lawful orders, which, in my books, should disqualify them for refugee status in a law abiding country

 

[Dumbastheycome]

On 11/2/2017 at 8:08 PM, RichardColeman said:

Muslim people should settle in Muslim countries. 

Same  like   non  Bhuddists   should  not   live  in  places  like  Thailand?

[RichardColeman]

13 hours ago, Dumbastheycome said:

Same  like   non  Bhuddists   should  not   live  in  places  like  Thailand?

I think you will find that Non-muslims are quite happy to live beside most people and will abide by their laws - Muslims want sharia law and to change the country they move to. Clearly you have no understanding of Muslims agenda - hence my comment of settling muslims in muslim countries

[simple1]

On 02/11/2017 at 7:11 PM, Baerboxer said:

 

600 - so not a huge number. Anyone of the wealthy Gulf states could easily absorb them. All those states have large numbers of migrant workers so finding a job for them should be easy. They will be in a country of their own religion and more close to their own culture.

 

So why doesn't the UN commissioner lobby those countries?

 

Those countries keep refugees like this well away. But he wants them resettled in non Muslim countries and looked after!

Firstly those remaining are nearly all vetted as genuine refugees, so pray tell why would they wish to be resettled in oppressive dictatorships? Plus which Gulf States are signatories to the relevant UN Convention/s? In addition you really should understand that media reporting often does not include numbers hosted by the likes of KSA, for those who seek refuge in dictatorships e,g.

 

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/anhvinh-doanvo/europes-crisis-refugees_b_8175924.html

Edited November 7, 2017 by simple1

[simple1]

7 hours ago, RichardColeman said:

I think you will find that Non-muslims are quite happy to live beside most people and will abide by their laws - Muslims want sharia law and to change the country they move to. Clearly you have no understanding of Muslims agenda - hence my comment of settling muslims in muslim countries

Your agenda is well known on TV. However, as a possible tiny step forward, try to understand the refugees have mostly fled oppressive Islamic countries. Many Muslims do not wish to live under harsh Sharia Law, quit the BS.