Asylum seekers given option on re-settlement

ASYLUM seekers on PNG's Manus Islands who refuse to be re-settled in Papua New Guinea will be assisted to return to their country of origin, a PNG Government official says.

Chief Migration Officer Mataio Rabura said Australia had made it very clear to everyone that it would not accept any asylum seeker from the Manus regional processing centre to enter that country.

Rabura was in Manus yesterday to resolve a protest staged by the asylum seekers who had been angry about the delay in the processing of their applications.

Australia made a deal with Papua New Guinea to have the refugees processed at the Manus centre, and anyone eligible for resettlement will be offered the opportunity to do so in PNG.   

“The Government has committed itself to combatting people smuggling, trafficking of persons and related transnational crime and entered into an agreement with Australia that it will play its part by processing and settling refugees in PNG,” Rabura said.

He had earlier been directed by Prime Minister Peter O’Neill to assume leadership of the Manus facility from contractors.

He was to execute his authority as designated administrator of the Manus centre to implement a plan to resolve the protest. 

Immigration and Foreign Affairs Minister Rimbink Pato said after taking control of the situation, Rabura allowed security personnel to enter the compound and “assist any  who did not want to be there”.

“A few agitators sought to prevent the removal of ill people but were restrained by security personnel,” Pato said.

Papua New Guinea Today / The National