A refugee is reportedly in hiding on Manus Island after allegedly being tricked by Papua New Guinea immigration officials into making an advertisement promoting resettlement.
Photo: AAP / Dept of Immigration and Citizenship
The ABC reports that 33-year-old Haider Khan as saying other refugees have threatened his life after he appeared in a newspaper advert holding a sign saying: "Thank you for helping us".
Mr Khan says he did not agree to the campaign and asked PNG officials not to use his image publicly.
He has been in hiding since he fled the Australian transit centre for refugees three days ago.
Mr Khan said PNG immigration officials paid him and promised him a meeting with the immigration minister, as well as refugee status, if he agreed to the photo.
An advertisement was later published in two national newspapers, stating "The government has permitted refugees to live and rebuild their lives in PNG - Let's give them a positive start."
No refugees have been resettled in PNG in the almost two years since it agreed to host an asylum seeker detention camp for Australia, nor does it have a resettlement policy.
