Story highlights
Papua New Guinean Supreme Court rules Australian detention center illegal
Around 900 asylum seekers are currently detained on Manus Island
Campaigners called for Australia to close all its offshore detention centers
Australia’s detention of asylum seekers on Manus Island has been ruled illegal by Papua New Guinea’s Supreme Court.
Around 900 men are in the detention center on the Papua New Guinea island, according to Australian immigration authorities.
While acknowledging the economy would suffer as a result of the closure, he pledged to work with Australia to ensure business owners would be taken care of. Negotiations with Australia will determine the time frame of the closure.
‘Treated as prisoners’
Some 1,200 people are currently detained in offshore “regional processing centers” on Manus and Nauru, thousands of miles from Australia, according to immigration authorities.
The camps have been widely condemned and many have called for their closure. A 2015 Australian Senate inquiry reported that the camps had poor hygiene and provided little educational opportunities. It also documented instances of sexual assault.
Some detainees have been in the camps for more than three years. Government figures show the average length of detention as 454 days, as of the end of March.
Current and former child detainees at the Nauru camp told CNN it’s like a prison.
“It’s not a crime to want to have a better life and future,” said one 18-year-old girl who asked CNN not to reveal her name because she fears for her safety. “We are treated as prisoners.”
‘No change’ in Australian policy
In a statement, Australian Minister for Immigration and Border Protection Peter Dutton said the court’s decision “does not alter Australia’s border protection policies.”
“No one who attempts to travel to Australia illegally by boat will settle in Australia,” he said in a statement.
“Those in the Manus Island Regional Processing Center found to be refugees are able to resettle in Papua New Guinea,” he added. “Those found not to be refugees should return to their country of origin. People who have attempted to come illegally by boat and are now in the Manus facility will not be settled in Australia.”
Those found not to be refugees should return to their country of origin. People who have attempted to come illegally by boat and are now in the Manus facility will not be settled in Australia.”
‘Treat people like human beings’
Campaigners against the detention centers welcomed the court’s decision.
“It is well time to close these awful detention camps on Manus (and) Nauru and start treating people like human beings. Anything less is senseless,” Greens Sen. Sarah Hanson-Young tweeted.
Daniel Webb, director of legal advocacy at the Human Rights Law Center, said the conditions on Manus were “incredibly harmful.”
“We’ve known it’s cruel, we’ve known it’s inhumane, today’s judgment confirms it’s illegal.”
He added that Tuesday’s ruling should be a “wake-up call” to the Australian government.
“Legally, there may be a few ways to respond,” said Aurora Adams, a human rights campaigner at Get Up.
“Morally there is only one option, the camps must be closed.”
She described Dutton’s statement as “highly disappointing,” adding that there was a clear popular mandate within Australia for the government to change its policy.
CNN’s Pamela Boykoff contributed to this report.