Approximately 600 men remain without power or running water in the now-closed Manus Island detention centre, refusing to relocate to alternative accommodation due to safety concerns. In an interview with 3AW radio, Australian immigration minister Peter Dutton alluded to the possibility of a conflict between these men and Papua New Guinea police, stating that he was discussing with authorities how to proceed if the men stayed on. Meanwhile, PNG’s Supreme Court dismissed an application to restore key services to the detention centre.
UNHCR’s head of protection, Volker Turk, expressed concerns about the closure of the Manus Island centre. At a press briefing in Geneva, Turk called on Australia and PNG to ‘find ways and means to resolve the current tensions peacefully’. Meanwhile, a spokesperson from the UNHCR stated from Manus Island that the alternative accommodation provided for refugees was inadequate, with insufficient healthcare, running water and electricity. In related news, the UN Human Rights Committee published a report urging the Australian government to immediately bring the detainees in its offshore processing facilities to safety.
Protests against the situation on Manus Island took place across the country. Five people from the activist group Whistleblowers, Activists and Citizens Alliance were charged with trespassing after climbing the Sydney Opera House to display pro-refugee banners on Thursday. In Melbourne, a large pro-refugee protest blocked the intersection on Spring Street at Bourke Street on Friday.