Catholic church calls for Manus detention deadline

12:07 pm on 30 January 2019

Papua New Guinea should negotiate a deadline with Australia for the removal of refugees from Manus Island, the Catholic church says.

A refugee protest at the East Lorengau Tranist Centre, 24-11-18. Photo: Behrouz Boochani

Manus detention 'cruelty and torture'

The request was made in a letter to the PNG prime minister, Peter O'Neill, from the general secretary of the Catholic Bishops Conference of PNG.

Giorgio Licini said ending almost six years of indefinite detention for about 600 male refugees should be done on medical and humanitarian grounds.

The letter also included a warning that prolonging their detention would compromise the refugees' chances of being resettled elsewhere.

"I am now humbly asking you to give a very close deadline to the authorities in Canberra for the removal of all refugees from our country on the basis of strongly compelling medical and humanitarian reasons," Fr Licini wrote to Mr O'Neill.

"Without this decision, the mentally impaired people will grow by the dozens in the next few weeks and months. Who is going to care for them? They risk outright rejection by any third country," he said.

Uncertainty about the future had caused a breakdown in the refugees' mental health, and depression and hopelessness had led to self-harm and suicide attempts becoming a daily occurrence, Fr Licini said.

PNG chief migration officer Solomon Kantha, Petrus Thomas, Giorgio Licini. Photo: Facebook / Giorgio Licini

The general-secretary recently returned from Manus Island where he said three refugees attempted suicide during his two day visit.

He also went to see about 20 refugees at Port Moresby's Pacific International Hospital "in extremely serious conditions as far as their mental health is concerned".

"The worry is that when instead of 20 in this condition you start having 50 or 100," Fr Licini told RNZ Pacific.

"Third countries are rejecting them on health grounds because they are not productive and they'll be a burden for the country of resettlement," he said.

"It is unthinkable that they are treated in Papua New Guinea and spend the rest of their lives here in total abjection and poverty."

Manusians also wanted to see the departure of the refugees, whose detention as a means of deterrence had served its purpose, Fr Licini said.

"The people of Manus expected the offshore processing of more than one thousand men taken to their island at Lombrum naval base to last two or three years at the most. Now half of the initial number of those men are still there after six years," he said.

"Their detention, mainly at the hand of the government of Australia, was organized between July 2013 and February 2014 because of their irregular arrival by boat on the shores of that country and as an attempt to deter additional asylum seekers from taking to the sea," he said.

Fire and security staff at the East Lorengau Refugee Transit Centre. Photo: Benham Satah

"Having achieved the objective of 'stopping the boats' their detention now amounts to cruelty and plain mental and physical torture."

On Monday, the general-secretary presented his letter to the PNG Immigration Minister, Petrus Thomas, who he said agreed that it was time for Australia to solve what had become a humanitarian crisis.

After the meeting, Fr Licini noted on social media that the minister and his government were prepared to resettle any of the refugees in PNG who wanted to remain but only about 40 had chosen to so far.

However, PNG would not force anybody to stay in the country against their will, Fr Licini said.

Meanwhile on Manus, a refugee was found in his room on Sunday, who had not eaten for eight days.

The Kurdish refugee Benham Satah said the man was found by other refugees as security staff no longer checked on people who had missed three meals in a row.

Another depressed refugee had attempted to self immolate over the weekend but was saved by friends, Mr Satah said.

The police and the fire service attended but the man was unhurt, he said.

Where to get help

These are services across the Pacific for people who may be thinking about suicide, or those who are concerned about family or friends.

In Tonga

Lifeline

23000 or

25144

In Fiji

Lifeline

+679 667 0565

In Papua New Guinea

Lifeline Port Moresby

- 675 326 0011 -

In Samoa:

SAMOA LIFELINE 800-5433

In New Zealand:

Need to Talk? Free call or text 1737 any time to speak to a trained counsellor, for any reason.

Lifeline: 0800 543 354 or text HELP to 4357

Suicide Crisis Helpline: 0508 828 865 / 0508 TAUTOKO (24/7). This is a service for people who may be thinking about suicide, or those who are concerned about family or friends.

Depression Helpline: 0800 111 757 (24/7)

Samaritans: 0800 726 666 (24/7)

Youthline: 0800 376 633 (24/7) or free text 234 (8am-12am), or email talk@youthline.co.nz

What's Up: online chat (7pm-10pm) or 0800 WHATSUP / 0800 9428 787 children's helpline (1pm-10pm weekdays, 3pm-10pm weekends)

Kidsline (ages 5-18): 0800 543 754 (24/7)

Rural Support Trust Helpline: 0800 787 254

Healthline: 0800 611 116

Rainbow Youth: (09) 376 4155

If it is an emergency and you feel like you or someone else is at risk, call 111.

Where to get help:

Lifeline: 0800 543 354