PNG to close Australian detention center it hosts

MELBOURNE, Australia

Papua New Guinea’s prime minister ordered Wednesday the closure of an asylum seeker detention center it hosts for Australia, after the Pacific nation’s Supreme Court ruled it illegal.

Peter O'Neill said in a statement that his government "will immediately ask the Australian Government to make alternative arrangements for the asylum seekers" on Manus Island.

Under its immigration policy, Australia detains asylum seekers who arrive by boat, in processing centers on Manus and the island country of Nauru, where conditions have been described as appalling by rights advocates.

On Tuesday, Papua New Guinea’s Supreme Court ordered that measures be undertaken immediately to cease detentions on Manus, where 850 men are being held -- around half of whom have been accepted as refugees.

"For those that have been deemed to be legitimate refugees, we invite them to live in Papua New Guinea only if they want to be a part of our society and make a contribution to our community," O'Neill said Wednesday.

"It is clear that several of these refugees do not want to settle in Papua New Guinea and that is their decision," he added.

Without providing details about what measures would be taken, the prime minister underlined that his government would discuss with their Australian counterparts a timeline for closing the detention facility.

"We did not anticipate the asylum seekers to be kept as long as they have at the Manus Center," he said.

Earlier on Wednesday, Australia’s immigration minister had insisted that the country would not admit people held on Manus.

"We'll work with PNG and provide what support is needed to them to help people return to their country of origin or to a third country otherwise," Peter Dutton told a morning radio program on news broadcaster ABC.

He underlined that Canberra would "await the decision from the PNG government in terms of the next step that they will take."

Following O’Neill’s statement, Australia’s Greens immigration spokeswoman called an early evening press conference in Canberra.

"This camp [on Manus Island] has killed two men and destroyed the lives of thousands of others," Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said.

Describing Dutton as "delusional", she said Australia's offshore detention policy is "crumbling at its core" and the minister "is out of options".

"The statement from the PNG prime minister is unequivocal," she stressed.

"The camp will close, Manus Island is over and Australia is responsible for what will happen to the people who are there."