Manus Island detainees and security. (file image) Photo: Supplied
The Refugee Action Coalition says refugees "abandoned" by Australia in Papua New Guinea are experiencing another round of distress.
"Papua New Guinea now is actually threatening to terminate their humanitarian program," refugee advocate Ian Rintoul said.
They were moved to Port Moresby from Manus Island after it was declared Australia's operation was illegal.
Rintoul said he has now received reliable reports that the refugees have not been paid their food allowance, on top of being threatened with eviction and no access to health services.
This, after it was revealed housing and health service providers were owed millions of dollars.
When asked if the PNG government requested more money to pay the providers, this was Canberra's response: Australia paid PNG "one-off finite funding" with all payments made to PNG in the 2021-22 financial year, a Home Affairs spokesperson said.
"They've got no rights at all," Rintoul said.
"It's very akin to a kind of official people trafficking, in my opinion."
Refugee Action Coalition spokesperson Ian Rintoul. Photo: Supplied/ Ian Rintoul
Holding Aus responsible
The remaining 62 refugees were detained on Manus Island by Australia for trying to enter the country by boat.
Australia has since struck a deal with Papua New Guinea to take over responsibility for the refugees.
"At the moment they've got no right to reside in Papua New Guinea," Rintoul said.
He said there is a real risk vulnerable refugees will be booted onto the street with no support, adding that around 16 of them are so distressed, "they can not speak coherently".
Health issues like this are being amplified due to unstable housing, no money for food and no hope for a way out, he explained.
Australia could act to alleviate pressure on PNG and the suffering of refugees but chooses not to, he added.
"It wouldn't be a big issue at all for the Australian government to decide to bring them back to Australia."
Meanwhile, New Zealand has taken on some of the refugees left stranded by Australia.
The Head of Refugee Quota Programmes in New Zealand Qemajl Murati said 19 families, consisting of 29 individuals from Papua New Guinea, who were previously on Manus Island, have arrived in New Zealand.
While, another 20 families consisting of 30 individuals are currently going through the process of having their cases processed.
Rintoul said while it is good Aotearoa is taking refugees the process is extremely slow.
He said it is extraordinary that people who have been determined to be refugees and owed international protection, "and yet the Australian and Papua New Guinea government's can simply decide, where they're going to be shoved to".
An Australia Department of Home Affairs spokesperson said PNG took over the "exclusive independent" management of the remaining refugees in December 2021.
"The funding arrangement was agreed confidentially and details remain confidential," they said.
