Pacific Magazine reports "Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare says he will not accept any requests from Australia to process West Papuan asylum seekers in PNG territory.
Somare’s position will be a big blow to any attempts by Australia to process asylum seekers on PNG’s Manus Island after Australia agreed to review its immigration procedures to ensure all future boat arrivals were processes offshore – in a bid to heal a diplomatic rift with Indonesia.
The PNG government has agreed to take back three West Papuans from Australia who were detained by authorities in the Torres Strait after crossing from PNG’s Western Province. But in line with a 2003 agreement signed by both countries in which foreigners who were in PNG for seven days and failed to seek asylum could be return to PNG if they crossed into Australia.
However, Somare told reporters on Friday that PNG territory will not be used as a testing ground for other people’s problems, alluding to the diplomatic standoff between Australia and Indonesia after 42 West Papuans were granted temporary Australian protection visas."
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