The more refugees at the closed Manus Detention Centre continue to camp there, the more attention it is drawing around the world.
In Australia, hundreds of protesters gathered outside the Brisbane City Hall last Friday night in protest of the Australian Government’s stance against allowing asylum seekers to be brought onshore for processing.
While Australian protesters are calling for authorities to bring the asylum seekers to Australia, Australian Immigration and Border Protection Minister, Peter Dutton, maintains that it will not accept anyone who attempts to settle in Australia by boat.
It has been six days since the Manus Regional Processing Centre in Lombrum was ordered to close on October 31. However, over 600 refugees are still camping at the closed centre.
They are refusing to move to the East Lorengau Transit Centre because of safety reasons.
Since October 31, water, food and electricity services into the Detention Centre were cut off in compliance with the Supreme Court decision of May 2016.
The 600 plus refugees were supposed to have been transferred from Lombrum to East Lorengau.
However, most have refused to do so. Instead they have been camping at the centre. They have dug up a well to collect water and are buying food from the shop to survive.
In a statement released by PNG Immigration and Border Security Minister, Petrus Thomas, on Sunday, (5 November 2017) the minister stressed that Detention Centre has been decommissioned, thus it will not be a simple task to reconnect water or electricity.
He further stated that water, accommodation, food and electricity will be provided at the new centre.
Meanwhile, Commanding Officer of Lombrum Naval Base said areas surrounding the decommissioned facility in Lombrum have been restricted to public including media personnel.
This, the Commanding Officer for Lombrum explains has most of the asylum seekers have been processed as refugees and that raises concerns of security for locals.
