Manus Regional Processing Centre

Court asked to dismiss Asylum seekers case

Lawyer representing the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Immigration Rimbink Pato and the Chief Migration Officer, Mataio Rabura moved an application before a three-judge Supreme Court bench today, seeking the dismissal of the case which the Asylum seekers filed last year.

New accommodation arrangements for refugees

The PNG Immigration has released new accommodation arrangements for the transferees which will see them separated in compounds according to their processing status come Oct 4.

Loop PNG confirmed with a transferee at the Manus centre that they were made aware of the new accommodation arrangements on Tuesday this week.

“All processing will end soon. Once the Minister decides your refugee status, there is no reason for you to remain in this centre,” the Communication guide released by PNG Immigration to those at the center stated.

‘Residents’ in Manus seek summary judgment

Following the court’s decision on Monday to discharge the inquiry conducted by the Chief Justice, the transferees in Manus, who are now called residents, will proceed their case with the two separate enforcement applications they filed earlier.

The residents’ lawyer, Ben Lomai, will now continue their case in court with the two Supreme Court Enforcement Applications; SCAPP No. 04 of 2015 filed Behnam Satah & 301 others and SCAPP No. 03 of 2016, filed by Mohammad Nure Alam & 287 others against the state.

Refugee slipped on waterfall rocks, resulting in his death: Rabura

Chief Migrations Officer Mataio Rabura confirms that the refugee slipped on the waterfall rocks, resulting in his death.

33-year-old Kamil Hussain of Pakistan nationality was found drowned at a waterfall at Rossun village, on Tuesday this week. He was found 2 hours later by police with the help of locals.

Manus Acting Provincial Police Commander Inspector David Yapu said the refugee was rushed to Lorengau General Hospital but was pronounced dead on arrival.

Every delay is delay in justice, says coalition

This issue needs to be rectified quickly, says Refugee Coalition Action Australia spokesman Ian Rintoul.

Ian Rintoul made the comments on Monday after attending the Supreme Court case involving the inquiry into the residents held in Manus.

He said after the ruling, things remained the same. Only terms were changed to the process and status of those kept there. From transferees, they are not called residents without formal documentation given to them. 

Five refugees for resettlement ‘test cases’

Lawyer Ben Lomai, who is representing over 600 residents at the processing centre, will be assisting the Supreme Court to identify five of his clients to undergo the resettlement test case.

The request came from Chief Justice Sir Salamo Injia on Monday when receiving an update of the progress on processing on the island from Laias Kandi, the lawyer representing Immigration Minister Rimbink Pato and the Chief Migration officer Mataio Rabura.

NCD Governor slams Australian Government on off-shore refugee policy

Parkop made this comment during the World Refugee Day commemoration in Port Moresby, which was attended by the Australia High Commissioner to Papua New Guinea, Bruce Davis.          

"In Papua New Guinea, we have our refugees; it's not a new phenomenon,” Parkop said, referring to displaced people as a result of tribal fights and now climate change.

“We know we have been forced into this situation with the Australia Government.

"High Commissioner, I am one of the MPs who has been against what is happening at the Manus Detention Centre.

Chief Migration seeks to add new evidence in asylum case

The matter came for directions hearing today in Waigani where parties agreed to have counsel acting for Chief Migration Office, Mataio Rabura, move an application seeking leave of the court to introduce fresh evidence into the case.

Counsel representing the asylum seekers who are clients of Lomai Attorneys, Gregory Toop told Justice Terrence Higgins today the new evidence was filed out of time and leave must first be sought before Rabura can move his application. He is being represented by Kuman Lawyers.

PM blasts Namah for interference on Regional Processing Centre

“Let the governments of Papua New Guinea and Australia go about getting on with the process of adhering to court orders.

“Closure of the centre will require coordinate effort and our officials from both countries are working on this at the moment,” PM O’Neill said.

“Just standing on a soapbox and beating your chest does nothing to change the processes involved in adhering to this decision.

“The centre will not close overnight as it is a significant scale of operation and this process has to be done properly.

Asylum seekers to seek specific orders

Benham Satah and others, who are applicants at the Manus Regional Processing Centre, will be seeking specific orders from the Supreme Court to send them back to Australia following the ruling last Tuesday (April 26) that their detainment there is illegal and unconstitutional.

Lawyer Ben Lomai told Loop the orders from last Tuesday’s ruling were too general therefore they “will ask the Supreme Court to send them back. They are not PNG’s problem. They are Australia’s problem, so they have to deal with their own problem”.