28th Nov 2017 – Senate Motions - Immigration Detention - End offshore processing and detention

The majority voted against a motion introduced by Greens Senator Nick McKim, which "call[ed] on the Government to end offshore processing and detention, and bring to Australia every person who sought asylum in Australia and who is currently in Papua New Guinea and Nauru"

Motion text

That the Senate—

(a) notes that:

(i) on 23 and 24 November 2017, Papua New Guinea police and immigration officials entered the Regional Processing Centre on Manus Island, with the Australian Federal Police playing an advisory role,

(ii) after three weeks of the refugees and people seeking asylum being starved and dehydrated, the Papua New Guinea police began the forcible removal of the men from the Regional Processing Centre,

(iii) this forcible removal included people being assaulted and beaten with metal rods,

(iv) the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) stated it had received reports that several men had been severely injured and medical treatment was paramount, and Mr Thomas Albrecht the UNHCR regional representative stated that "the situation still unfolding on Manus Island presents a grave risk of further deterioration, and of further damage to extremely vulnerable human beings",

(v) Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders) have taken ten people to hospital in the last 24 hours, and

(vi) the men on Manus Island, and the men, women and children on Nauru are Australia's responsibility and remain so; and

(b) calls on the Government to end offshore processing and detention, and bring to Australia every person who sought asylum in Australia and who is currently in Papua New Guinea and Nauru.