Knight: Refugees immune to PNG law

Young women in Manus are cautioned by their local MP Ronny Knight to be careful when socialising with refugees from the Australian-run Processing Centre.

About 60 asylum seekers, all of them men who were granted refugee status are now roaming freely in Manus.

Knight claims the refugees have been involved in drinking sprees with youths from Lorengau town and in some incidents were causing a nuisance.

But he says police have only arrested and locked the local boys while the refugees were returned to the Processing Centre.

“We can’t do that. If we recognise them as refugees and give them freedom in our communities then we must apply our laws on them as well,” says Knight.

He claims the men have also gone into relationships with young women resulting in pregnancy.

“I am asking parents and their daughters to be careful as we know nothing about the life these men have led in their previous life,” says Knight.

The MP says he wants the Government to ensure there is some controls placed on the movements of these refugees until they are resettled. 

     

Author: 
Joy Kisselpar