PNG police round-up protesting asylum seekers

PNG police round-up protesting asylum seekers
By Euronews
Share this articleComments
Share this articleClose Button
Copy/paste the article video embed link below:Copy to clipboardCopied

Many refugees are hiding or refusing to leave the Australian-run camp on Manus Island

ADVERTISEMENT

Police in Papua New Guinea have sealed off an Australian-run refugee camp in a bid to shut down the facility.

Nearly 400 asylum seekers have shut themselves inside the Manus Island Centre for more than three weeks, defying attempts
by Australia and Papua New Guinea (PNG) to close it.

Protesters claim police have confiscated their stockpiled food and water.

The United Nations has described the standoff as a “looming humanitarian crisis”. It’s urged Australia to accept New Zealand’s offer and resettle the detainees, but Australia’s Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull is standing firm.

“They think this is some way they can pressure the Australian government to let them come to Australia. Well, we will not be pressured. I want to be very clear about this. Our border security, the integrity of our borders, is maintained by my government. It is maintained by my government and we will not outsource our migration policy to people smugglers,” Turnbull told reporters.

We are oppressed
We don’t want PNG
You can’t force us to live in PNG
Tuesday
21 November 2017
113rd day of peaceful protests
23rd day of blockade. #MANUSpic.twitter.com/2ihhK60DIJ

— Ezatullah kakar (@EzatullahKakar) November 21, 2017

They brought the buses inside the camp and dragged some guys into them.
They taking us by force to town centres.
They closed the gates of “Mike compound” and started beating guys.
Thank you Australia once again #ManusSOSpic.twitter.com/ypH3wMK2NX

— Walid Zazai (@ZazaiWalid) November 23, 2017

Under its controversial “sovereign borders” immigration policy, Australia refuses to land asylum seekers arriving by sea, instead sending
them to the offshore camps.

Papua New Guinea also says the camp is illegally located on land used by its navy.

Papua New Guinea police move into the shuttered Australian refugee camp on the country’s Manus Island in the most aggressive push yet to force hundreds of men to leave https://t.co/pAFeLERhjLpic.twitter.com/l2LIJXvPiT

— AFP news agency (@AFP) November 23, 2017

Share this articleComments

You might also like

French police use 'aggressive' tactics against migrant boats: Footage

Dozens pulled out of Mediterranean after a boat capsized, in dramatic night rescue

Albanian parliament approves controversial deal to hold migrants for Italy