A billion dollars to run offshore detention centres for the past year The Abbott government has spent more than a billion dollars this financial year to house about 2200 asylum seekers in offshore detention centres in Papua New Guinea and Nauru, Senate estimates has heard. Running the detention centre on Manus Island has cost taxpayers $632 million, while the operational cost of Nauru was tabled at $434 million. There are 1167 asylum seekers on Nauru and 1060 on Manus Island. Deputy secretary of Immigration Mark Cormack said the costs included health costs, escorting asylum seekers to and from the centres, the cost of staff and payments made to both countries to support them holding the asylum seekers. Despite the payments, there have been further delays in PNG of the resettlement of refugees, with Prime Minister Peter ONeill on Sunday announcing further delays, despite the fact many have been detained on the island for more than a year. In a statement, Mr ONeill said that due to lack of understanding and support for refugee settlement in PNG communities, he had instructed a new policy would be be prepared with an increased focus on consultations and building public awareness and support. The new policy will be considered by cabinet after these comprehensive public awareness and consultations are completed, Mr ONeill said. The announcement followed a surprise visit to PNG by Prime Minister Tony Abbott en route to Jakarta for the inauguration of Joko Widodo. Reports said Mr Abbott and Immigration Minister Scott Morrison met with Mr ONeill to discuss the delays in the resettlement of refugees. Labor immigration spokesman Richard Marles said the Abbott government had serious questions to answer over its failure to effectively manage the relationship with PNG and its capability to resettle asylum seekers, particularly after two deaths in the compound since February this year. Scott Morrison needs to start taking responsibility for his disastrous handling of this key agreement, including his failure to actively engage with the Papua New Guinea government until after the riot at the Manus Island facility in February of this year, Mr Marles said. Earlier this year, Transfield was offered a $1.2 billion contract for offering the security costs on both Manus and Nauru, while Save the Children were awarded a $99.9 million contract that expires in October next year. The estimates hearing also heard that this during the calendar year 164 asylum seekers arrived in Australia, while 20,711 asylum seekers arrived the year before. The dramatic drop in the number of asylum seekers has saved the government $2.5 billion, Senate estimates was told. Source : smh.au/federal-politics/political-news/a-billion-dollars-to-run-offshore-detention-centres-for-the-past-year-20141020-118s6i.html#ixzz3GfHpk54k
Posted on: Mon, 20 Oct 2014 06:43:16 +0000
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