Enough is enough - Manus attacks show Turnbull must immediately evacuate the Manus centre and bring the men to safety in Australia

The terrifying and violent attack on the men in the Manus Island regional processing centre last night is further proof that Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull must immediately evacuate the camp and bring the men to safety in Australia. 

Daniel Webb, Director of Legal Advocacy at the Human Rights Law Centre, who has been to Manus three times to investigate conditions on the ground, said:

“Enough is enough. The men on Manus must immediately be evacuated and brought to safety in Australia.

“Most of these men were found to be refugees years ago. Last night’s attack has again left them terrified and - after four years of fear, violence and limbo - they are completely exhausted.

“I first visited the camp just after Reza Barati’s murder in 2014 and I saw how terrified and tired the men were back then. Yet more than three years later those men are still trapped behind the same fence and living in constant fear. Last night they were once again hiding in their rooms from outsiders intent on attacking them. This can't go on another day.

“Malcolm Turnbull has conceded the Manus camp must close. These attacks show just how urgent the situation is. It's not good enough to wait for the end of the year. It's not good enough to just sit back and hope for the best from Donald Trump. These lives are in Malcolm Turnbull's hands. It is Malcolm Turnbull’s responsibility to ensure these men are evacuated to safety and can finally get on with rebuilding their lives.

“It becomes clearer with every passing day that the only safe and viable way forward is to bring the men to safety in Australia.”

MichelleBennettMigration Justice