Pacific responds to asylum plans

Australia’s planned ‘Pacific Solution’ is still dominating headlines around the region, as the first group of asylum seekers arrived in Manus island. Social forums like Sharptalk hosted in PNG have exploded with comments, mostly negative.  Oro Province governor Garry Juffa has called it ‘deplorable’, PNG’s opposition leader is challenging it in court and the Solomon Islands prime minister has rejected an overture to resettle some refugees in his own country.

Nevertheless, Australia’s Immigration Minister Tony Burke claims the new policy is already working, amidst reports that some asylum seekers in Indonesia areabandoning their plans to come by boat to Australia. Australia and Nauru are now planning for a third detention centre on the island, although media coverage of asylum issues there is likely to be stifled after censorship measures from the Nauru government. New Zealand has said it would consider taking some refugees once they have been processed.