Second Group Sent to Papua New Guinea Under Settlemnt Arrangement

Jakarta (Antara) - The Australian Department of Immigration and Citizenship announced on Friday the successful transfer to Papua New Guinea of the second group of 39 asylum seekers, as part of its new regional settlement procedure. "This latest transfer to Manus Island sends the clearest possible message that coming to Australia by boat is not the way to gain Australian residency," a department spokesman said in a press release from the Australian Embassy and received here Friday. Under the new arrangement with Papua New Guinea, illegal immigrants will be sent to PNG for evaluation and, if found to be refugees, will be settled there. "People found not to be refugees may be returned to their home country or a country where they had a right of residence, or held in a transit facility," the spokesman said. The charter flight, including a group of 39 Iranian men escorted by the Australian Federal Police, DIAC staff, interpreters and medical staff, departed Christmas Island late yesterday. The group landed in Manus Province today, where they will be housed while their asylum claims are processed by the Papua New Guinea Government. "The transfer should leave no doubt that Australia intends to stick by its commitment that, as of July 19, no matter where an asylum seeker arrives in Australia by boat, they won't be settled in Australia," the spokesman said. There is no cap on the number of people who can be transferred to PNG and transfers will continue on a regular basis. Women, children and unaccompanied minors will be transferred later, as appropriate arrangements are made, according to officials. Australia will work with Papua New Guinea to expand the Manus Island regional processing centre, as well as explore the construction of other regional processing centres in PNG. "If people are paying thousands and thousands of dollars to a people smuggler, they are buying a ticket to a country other than Australia," the spokesman added. (*)