Refugees

Australia has reached a resettlement deal with the United States for refugees being held on Papua New Guinea's Manus Island and Nauru.

About 900 men are in camp on Manus Island while about 400 people are in the camp on Nauru with roughly the same number living in the community.

The justice minister David Adeang said while the Nauru government had consistently sought to correct false reports about conditions and safety of the refugees, it had also always stated the need to find suitable third countries for permanent resettlement.

Australia has run the controversial camps on Manus Island in Papua New Guinea and on Nauru for the past three years, amid heavily criticism from human rights groups, NGOs, medical organisations and former staff.

That mix of fear, hope and greed has now produced a horrifying record.

More people have drowned in the Mediterranean this year than ever before: at least 3,800. That's 73 a week. That's 13 every day.

Here's a look at how we got to this point.

Why are they doing it?

They have no choice. They are Syrians, Afghans, Iraqis, escaping war. They are Nigerians and Eritreans in search of a better life.

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.

His short life has been anything but easy.

He, his twin brother and his mother were among the 6,500 refugees and migrants rescued in a 30-hour period while attempting to make the treacherous journey across the Mediterranean.

Médecins Sans Frontières' ship Dignity 1 and the Spanish humanitarian group Proactiva Open Arms rescued people who were aboard 15 rubber boats and one wooden vessel Monday.

The twins and their mother were transferred via Medevac for treatment in Italy, according to a tweet from MSF.

Among the 50,000 volunteers taking part in the Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games will be a small group of people for whom the Olympic values of friendship and respect for others have a very special meaning: 38 refugees and asylum seekers from areas of unrest and conflict who have chosen Brazil as their new home.

For the refugees, providing valued services at the Games will help them reconnect with the outside world and build their self-esteem, after experiencing the anguish of losing their homes and leaving their friends and families behind.

The two-week conference brought positive response to issues affecting PNG and its neighbours.

The 22 bishops of Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands, after a recent visit to Jayapura, have sworn to make a stand on the independence of the refugees of West Papua in Indonesia.

They were met by other West Papuan bishops and discussed issues of cooperation between each diocese in PNG as well Solomon Islands and West Papua. They will be writing a statement to address the issue of refugees and West Papua’s call for independence.

The dozens of people crammed together at the front of the line to the border crossing looked at the closed gate and razor wire in disbelief. One young Syrian muttered he had been in the tent at the crossing for five days without sleeping. It was his 15th day at the Idomeni refugee camp.

One woman broke down, crying and screaming as she held her baby in her arms while a man tried to calm and comfort her. Refugees asked reporters what had happened in Brussels, and asked what they could or should do next.

PNG's Foreign Minister Rimbink Pato this month said more than half of the over 900 asylum seekers at the centre have had their claims for refugee status determined.

472 have been determined to be refugees and, Mr Pato said, were "free to depart from the processing centre and commence settling in PNG".

One detainee is receiving medical treatment following a riot at the facility.

Immigration Minister Peter Dutton said it was hoped order would be restored in the coming hours.