Refugees in PNG - Processing and Re-settlement

The Australian Government, in conjunction with the Papua New Guinea Government have agreed to finalise the Regional Resettlement Arrangement (RRA) at the end of 2021

In a statement released today, Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews said the Australian government would cease regional processing contracts with PNG at the end of this year. 

After that, PNG will assume full responsibility for refugees and asylum seekers in the country.

About 124 men, who still remain in PNG, will have the option of transferring to a regional processing centre on Nauru, or resettling in PNG, where they will be offered pathways to citizenship and settlement packages.

Father Giorgio Licini,  from the PNG Catholic Bishops Conference, said PNG was not set up to care for refugees and called the RRA solution "unacceptable".

Fr Giorgio Licini has been providing pastoral care to some of those freed from Bomana detention centre. Fr Licini said they had reported sleepless nights during their internment. “That is what they confirm: scarcity of food, sleeping conditions very hard. No pillow, noise around the facility – in some parts there are loudspeakers. I heard them mention spending nights sleepless because of noise.” Fr Licini said.

While refugee processing in PNG ending this year, Ms Andrews said the government's immigration policies had not changed.

"Anyone who attempts to enter Australia illegally by boat will be returned, or sent to Nauru," she said.

Last week, Australia signed a memorandum of understanding with the Nauruan government to continue an "enduring" regional processing capability in the Pacific island nation.

In 2016, PNG's Supreme Court found Australia's detention of refugees on Manus Island was illegal.

By the end of 2019, most refugees had been moved to the capital, Port Moresby.