Refugee advocates fear violence will erupt on Manus Island as the final countdown begins to the closure of an Australian offshore detention centre holding 600 asylum seekers. Australia expects the Lombrum centre will close as planned. Refugee Action Coalition's Ian Rintoul fears a siege situation could develop at the Lombrum centre ahead of Tuesday's deadline. Mr Rintoul said two of the three centres earmarked for the asylum seekers were still not fenced or guarded, raising concerns about their safety. The Lombrum centre's closure was announced after the PNG Supreme Court ruled in April 2016 that Australia's detention of refugees and asylum seekers there was illegal and unconstitutional.

Source: Huffington Post October 29, 2017 08:37 UTC