Papua New Guinea is now building a new facility that PNG officials say will be used for managing the Asylum Seekers on Manus Island.
Australia is building a new immigration detention facility near Papua New Guinea's capital that PNG officials say is specifically for asylum seekers currently on Manus Island. The details of the project remain unconfirmed, but it is believed the facility will accommodate asylum seekers who have had their refugee applications rejected and are being deported. The new immigration jail will be built at Bomana prison, outside Port Moresby. "I can confirm that the Department will be building an immigration transit facility in Papua New Guinea," Federal Immigration Minister Scott Morrison, said. "This will be a transit and removals centre as proposed and agreed to in the Regional Resettlement Arrangement by the previous government." PNG Correctional Services spokesman Richard Mandui said the facility was "being built purposely for those asylum seekers detained on Manus". PNG's Immigration and Citizenship Authority and the country's Correctional Services signed an agreement about the facility last month, according to local media. "We recognise that there is a need to manage those foreign nations who are refused entry to Papua New Guinea or who are detected having overstayed or having entered the country illegally," PNG's chief migration officer, Mataio Rabura, said. "It will enhance PNG's national security and will allow for the detention of such persons separate from the prison population," he told The National newspaper. Mr Rabura said the new facility was part of amendments to the Migration Act - approved by Cabinet and to be tabled in Parliament soon - that would "properly define immigration detention, enhance powers to detain and remove those unlawfully in the country". He said work on the new immigration jail was expected to start next year. Comments are closed.
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