Craig Hill Media and Consulting
Papua New Guinea
Australia forms anti-people smuggling deal with Malaysia
Australia has struck a series of deals with Malaysia to limit the transit of asylum-seekers across its territory to Indonesia. Immigration Minister Scott Morrison, the first Abbott government minister to visit Malaysia, has returned from meetings with Home Affairs Minister Ahmad Zahid with agreements on “operational co-operation” under his belt. “I was pleased to reboot … Continue reading
Australian staff evacuated from asylum detention centre after conflict between Papua New Guinea security forces
The Australian immigration minister, Scott Morrison, has confirmed that Australian staff were evacuated from the regional processing centre on Manus Island after an incident involving “Papua New Guinean agencies”. The minister, who said he had not been fully briefed on the incident, said details were a “matter for the Papua New Guinean government to address”. … Continue reading
Indonesian asylum-seekers give up hope on Australia
As the realisation takes hold that they are shut out of Australia, growing numbers of asylum-seekers trapped in Indonesia are considering voluntarily returning to their homelands. Asylum-seekers in Cisarua, south of Jakarta, told The Australian that Tony Abbott’s election victory was the final blow to lingering hopes of getting to Australia by boat and being allowed … Continue reading
Australia to continue Papua New Guinea asylum seeker scheme
Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Peter O’Neill says he expects a Tony Abbott-led government to respect the asylum-seeker processing arrangements made with former prime minister Kevin Rudd. But Mr O’Neill says he is open to the scheme being reviewed. “The resettlement program (asylum-seeker deal) and the infrastructure development program associated with this, negotiated and agreed … Continue reading
Papua New Guinea suspends asylum talks with Australia
Papua New Guinea has suspended discussions with Australia on the resettlement of refugees, as its most senior immigration official warned that serious breaches of the asylum-seeker undertakings could “jeopardise implementation” of Kevin Rudd‘s offshore solution. There are now no discussions between the Australian and PNG governments about the resettlement of refugees on Manus Island. The … Continue reading
Australian faces 162 manslaughter charges in Papua New Guinea
An Australian expat is facing as many as 162 charges of manslaughter following an investigation into last year’s sinking of the Papua New Guinea ferry Rabaul Queen. Peter Sharp, who owned the ferry when it sank in rough weather off Lae in February 2012, was arrested today in Rabaul, in PNG‘s East New Britain province. … Continue reading
People smugglers take to the sky with Australian asylum seekers
People smugglers are concocting a new and expensive product to sell their asylum seeker clients – flying them into Australia on fake tourist visas to sidestep the harsh policies of both political parties aimed at boat arrivals. Three separate groups of Iranian asylum seekers in the Indonesian province of West Java have told Fairfax Media … Continue reading
Australia says boat arrivals down 30pc since Papua New Guinea plan commenced
Kevin Rudd has declared that Labor’s Papua New Guinea asylum-seeker plan has driven down boat arrivals by 30 per cent since it was announced. ”In the month or so since we’ve had this policy implemented I am advised that boat arrivals are down by 30 per cent,” Mr Rudd said. Mr Rudd was speaking after … Continue reading
Australia provides Papua New Guinea extra funding
Australia will provide extra funding for newly prioritised projects in Papua New Guinea – on top of the existing $507 million aid program – under Kevin Rudd’s asylum-seeker deal. PNG Prime Minister Peter O’Neill told The Australian these new projects – such as the rebuilding of the Lae hospital, whose cost has been estimated at … Continue reading
UN warns Australia that asylum seeker policy may breach international law
The United Nations refugee agency has warned Australia that its decision to send asylum seekers to Papua New Guinea could breach international law and its human rights obligations. Around 700 asylum seekers have arrived at Christmas Island since the deal was announced last week, and will be eligible to be resettled in PNG, not in Australia, if … Continue reading
Papua New Guinea attacks Australian opposition party for disrespect
Papua New Guinea has warned Australian politicians to show it more respect, a day after Opposition Leader Tony Abbott went on the attack over foreign aid flowing to the country. Mr Abbott had accused Prime Minister Kevin Rudd of subcontracting out the nation’s aid program to PNG as part of the asylum seeker processing deal, … Continue reading
Australia puts bounty on heads of people smugglers
The Australian government will award bounty payments of up to $200,000 for those individuals who can provide information that will help the AFP crack down on people smugglers. The announcement by Home Affairs Minister Jason Clare follows a breakthrough deal under which asylum seekers who come to Australia by boat will be resettled in Papua … Continue reading
People smugglers hit hard by Australia’s Papua New Guinea solution
Kevin Rudd’s Papua New Guinea solution has bit savagely in west Java, where Afghan asylum seekers have immediately begun telling people smugglers they are cancelling their planned boat trips to Christmas Island. After the Prime Minister’s announcement, it did not take long for the news to circulate in the mountain-top resort city of Cisarua, where … Continue reading
Australia to send extra police to Papua New Guinea
Australia will send up to 50 police officers to Papua New Guinea by the end of the year to help tackle the country’s growing law and order problem. Papua New Guineans will also enjoy ”passenger lane” status – currently shared by Australian and New Zealand travellers – at Brisbane and Cairns airport from September. Australian … Continue reading
Australia in breach of international human rights laws over Manus Island asylum seekers
The international refugee agency says it is ”deeply concerned” for the asylum seekers Australia sends to Papua New Guinea’s Manus Island detention centre. In its second report on the conditions on the island centre, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees says PNG is in breach of international human rights laws by detaining the asylum … Continue reading
UN says Australia has no ethics on asylum seekers
The head of the UN High Commission for Refugees in Australia has expressed alarm at the “mean-spirited” public debate on asylum-seekers, warning that the nation is at a “crossroads” and must decide if it will continue to pursue harsh policies of deterrence. The UNHCR’s regional representative, Richard Towle, said while Australia had an effective and … Continue reading
Australia’s asylum policy fails to have an impact
It was the foundation stone of Julia Gillard‘s plan to stop, or at least substantially slow, the flow of boats arriving uninvited on our shores, and it had a certain simplicity and logic on its side. If asylum seekers could extract ”no advantage” by paying people smugglers and risking their lives on leaky boats, compared … Continue reading
United Nations refugee agency slams Australia’s tough new asylum seeker policy
The UN refugee agency took Australia to task Wednesday over a tough new policy that allows boat people who reach its mainland to be sent to remote Nauru or Papua New Guinea for detention while their asylum claims are processed. The so-called “excision” rules, passed last week, extend previous legislation which only allowed the authorities … Continue reading
Australia’s BHP lashed on ‘colonial attitude’ in Papua New Guinea
The row between Papua New Guinea and BHP Billiton over the Ok Tedi mine heated up yesterday, with Prime Minister Peter O’Neill accusing BHP of having a “colonial era” mentality. He strongly defended his action two months ago in banning Ross Garnaut from PNG, which triggered the Australian economist’s resignation at the weekend as chairman … Continue reading
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