Refugees, asylum seekers refuse to leave Papua New Guinea detention centre set for closure

Australian private security has vacated a detention centre for asylum seekers in Papua New Guinea (PNG) ahead of its planned closure on Tuesday, detainees say, leaving about 600 refugees and asylum seekers barricaded inside and refusing to move.

Detainees are defying attempts by Australia and PNG to closethe controversial Manus Island centre, saying they fear violentreprisals from the local community if they move to a transitcentre.

Despite threats that water and power supply to the campwould be cut by 5 p.m. local time, asylum-seekers told Reuters
after the deadline that half the camp still had power at 10.30p.m., along with access to water.

The Manus centre has been a key plank of Australia'scontroversial Sovereign Bordersimmigration policy. The country refuses to allow asylum seekers arriving by boat toreach its shores, detaining them in camps in PNG and Nauru in the South Pacific.

Lawyers for some of the 600 men have filed a last-minutelawsuit in PNG, seeking an injunction to prevent the camp's closure and the relocation of the men to a third country.A ruling is expected on Wednesday.

The detainees were left alone for the first time in morethan four years after camp staff all left on Tuesday morning,Sudanese refugee Abdul Aziz said.

"The water and electricity are still on but we arevulnerable now after the staff left us all alone," Aziz said.

Impending closure

The impending closure of the camp is part of an Australiangovernment plan to push refugees and asylum seekers to eitherreturn to their home country, settle in PNG or move elsewhere,thereby disbanding part of Australia's controversial andexpensive offshore detention program.

The United Nations and rights groups have for years citedhuman rights abuses among detainees in the centres.

Detainees have consistently raised concerns over how theyare treated by locals and authorities in PNG, a country that ranks 154 out of 185 on the United Nation's Human DevelopmentIndex.

Australian Immigration Minister Peter Dutton refused tocomment on the departure of the Australian employed security staff on Manus,but said the camp's closure would proceed.

"All have been informed for a considerable period of timethat there is safe and secure alternate accommodation where health and other services will be maintained," Dutton said in anemail.

Australia has already said it would spend up to $246million to house the men for the next 12 months. Just under 200 men have already been moved.

The relocation of the men is designed as a temporarymeasure, allowing the United States time to complete vetting of refugees as part of a refugee swap deal.

Asylum seekers said several unidentified local men hadarrived at the camp and removed furniture from the common areasof the centre. Videos shot by the refugees and sent to Reutersshow vans loaded with furniture leaving the camp, although it isnot clear where the vehicles are from.

Supplies run low

Conditions for the refugeeswere unbearable, said NickMcKim, a senator with the Australian Greens Party who is on
Manus.

"I can only describe what is happening on Manus now as ahumanitarian emergency," McKim said."It is 31 degrees Celsiustoday and drinkingwater will be cut off."

PNG has sent paramilitary services to oversee the closure.

PNG's High Court ruled last year that the Manus centre, which first opened in 2001, was illegal.

The bulk of the detainees come from war-torn countries such as Syria and Afghanistan, and Pakistan, Iran, Sri Lanka andMyanmar.

Australia's tough offshore detention policies are supportedby the country's two biggest parties, although community opinionis divided.

"I would be absolutely terrified to be in that situation andI cannot understand why the government just simply will not sayenough is enough ... we need to bring them here to Australia,"said refugee advocate Dr. Barri Phatarfod, who took part in asmall protest against refugee policies in Sydney on Tuesday.