An Iranian asylum seeker who was held in detention on Papua New Guinea's Manus Island has been forcibly repatriated.
Staff accommodation block at Manus Island Detention Centre in PNG Photo: EMTV
The Guardian reports that the 27-year-old man, who had been on Manus for over two years, was removed from the detention centre last Thursday and put in solitary confinement.
The man's asylum claim had been initially rejected, and he had refused to participate in a second review, arguing the process was unfair.
However, even as a court case was under way to stop his removal, the man was sent to Tehran, escorted by six guards.
Before being deported, he wrote and signed a letter indicating he was being returned to his country of origin against his will.
Back in Iran, the man was allowed by authorities to return to his home, but reported having his passport seized and was ordered to report to police.
His lawyer in PNG said the government's decision to deport a man while his case was under way could be in contempt.
In recent weeks asylum seekers on Manus were told they would be deported "as soon as practicable" if their claim for refugee status failed.
