Immigration Minister Scott Morrison met with Cambodia’s Interior Minister Sar Kheng this week to discuss the possibility of resettling asylum seekers in Cambodia. The move was criticised by a member of the Cambodian Opposition party, Son Chhay, who said that the country should not be seen as a “dumping ground.”
The majority of asylum seekers on Manus Island have been interviewed for refugee status, with both the Australian and Papua New Guinean governments confirming that all those determined to be refugees will be resettled in PNG. An Iranian asylum seeker being assessed at the Manus Island detention centre is seeking to challenge Australia’s offshore processing policy before the High Court.
Meanwhile, the Abbott Government refused to release a report concerning details of the inquiry into the death of Reza Barati on Manus Island. The Australian Federal Police also declined to assist the interviewing of witnesses in relation to the death.
Asylum seekers at the Villawood detention centre in Sydney failed in a last minute legal bid to thwart an impending relocation to the Kimberley region of Western Australia. A group of more than 60 people gathered at Villawood to protest the transfer.
A report containing details of an internal review of Australian boat incursions into Indonesian waters was met with scrutiny by the Opposition and the Greens. The report was censured for its lack of detail around the incidents that occurred under Operation Sovereign Borders.
Médecins Sans Frontières released a report detailing the harsh conditions facing asylum seekers living in detention in Greece.