Manus MP Ronny Knight is calling on the PNG and Australian governments to announce their exit strategy for the Manus asylum processing Centre.
“This is in relation to the various incidents now becoming more serious in the Manus community. The Regional Processing Centre is already in contempt of Supreme Court instructions and we need to know when compliance will take place to shut down the Centre.” said a frustrated Ronny Knight.
He said the people of Manus have been lied to by the PNG government.
“They told us that refugees would not be allowed uncontrolled access to the population! They also told us that no refugees would be settled on Manus"!
We now have refugees scattered all over our islands and mainland villages living in de facto relationships with children being born. “
Knight says he is now working with the refugee Refugee Processing Centre leaders to get a working dialogue going so some ground rules can be laid down for the benefit of both locals and refugees.
“Unless our government allows immediate intervention of UNHCR then we will see more problems arising.” said Knight.
A PNG Supreme Court ruling in April 2016, deemed the Manus Regional Processing Centre in breach of the Constitution and illegal.