Immigration Minister Tony Burke will visit Manus Island this week to address horrific allegations raised by a former security guard at the Papua New Guinea detention centre.
Former head of occupational health and safety at the centre, Rod St George, claims acts of self-harm and attempted suicide were occurring “almost daily” on Manus Island.
He told SBS’s Dateline program asylum seekers were being raped and tortured in the detention centre.
Mr St George expanded on his allegations this morning, saying the problems were exacerbated by poor training of guards and the inability to separate people.
“The policy from department quite clearly is that Manus is not to be a comfortable place,” he told ABC radio.
“Any suggestion by those of us who were speaking up for them (vulnerable detainees), we were just told no one leaves the island.”
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Mr Burke said the allegations were horrific.
He spoke in detail to Mr St George after the program aired last night, about conditions in the detention centre and what could be done to fix the problems.
“I’ll be in Manus in the next couple of days and I’ll have a look for myself,” he told ABC today.
“I don’t think anyone in the immigration department would have any doubt particularly after this next visit, of what my expectations are.”
The minister said all the asylum seekers currently on Manus Island would be removed before any new groups were settled there under the government’s new policy.
His office has been asked to clarify where those currently on the island will be sent.
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St George told Dateline people at the Manus Island facility were destitute, helpless and hopeless.
“In Australia, the facility couldn’t even serve as a dog kennel.”
Mr St George, who is a former prison guard, said up to half a dozen young men were assaulted and sexually abused. After reporting the cases of abuse, the men were told to return to their tents.
“There was nothing that could be done for these young men who were considered vulnerable, which in many cases is just a euphemism for men who are being raped,” he said.
“They had to stay where they were.”
Detainees, described by Mr St George as “heavies”, forced fellow asylum seekers on the facility to sow their lips together. One man had his eardrum perforated when he had solvent poured into his ear, Mr St George said.
He was particularly critical of immigration department officials for their handling of cases of alleged abuse.
“I’ve worked with some of the worst criminals Australia has and even they have a clearer sense of decency than what I witnessed there.”
