By Karen TongWednesday 28 May 2014Open House InterviewsSocial JusticeReading Time: 2 minutes
Immigration Minister Scott Morrison has handed down an independent report on the violence at Manus Island detention centre in February, which led to the death of an Iranian asylum seeker.
Audio – Immigration Minister Scott Morrison on Open House.
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“This was a terrible, tragic and very distressing series of events,” Mr Morrison says.
The report by former secretary of the Attorney-General's department, Robert Cornall, highlighted the “increasing tension” among the transferees at Manus Island detention centre.
They expressed “anger and frustration” over uncertainty as to how long they would be detained, and the prospect of being resettled in Papua New Guinea.
“There was a view that had formed … that they had expected some sort of amnesty or change of policy,” Mr Morrison says, “but there was no basis for that view.”
“Perhaps there was a final realisation that the government meant what it said.”
The report also said the attack on Iranian asylum seeker Reza Barati, 23, was led by a Salvation Army worker who was a PNG national.
“The terrible violence that occurred on that night … a significant contributor to that was the quite substantial racial tension that had emerged, and the very offensive remarks and chants that were being directed at the PNG nationals,” Mr Morrison says.
Mr Morrison adds, however, that he isn’t making any excuses for the violence: “What occurred on that night were criminal acts, and those will be subject to criminal prosecution.”
In response to broader humanitarian concerns that have been expressed over Australia’s border control policy, Mr Morrison says he will have to carry the moral consequences for all the decisions he has to make.
“We are freeing up the places in our refugee and humanitarian program to be able to support those who are waiting offshore,” he says.
“We believe in having strong borders, because we believe it saves lives."