The immigration minister has confirmed to Sky News refugees will leave Manus Island for the US in October
Mr Dutton told said he would have preferred they left sooner, with the detention centre to close that month.
‘Our desire was obviously to have them off tomorrow, I want Manus Island to close, we’re still going to maintain Nauru,’ he said.
‘We have been caught up in the US process, they have a quota each year. It was 110,000 people they were taking in the refugee program under President Obama, but President Trump has reduced that to 50,000.’
‘Their year finishes in September, so we have been pushed into October in terms of when people will move.’
Meanwhile crowds holding candles, carrying banners and waving placards have gathered in vigils around Australia to call for an end to the offshore detention of refugees and asylum seekers, marking four years since offshore detention was resumed under then Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd.
A crowd of about 200 people gathered in Sydney’s Hyde Park on Wednesday night calling for an evacuation of all offshore detention camps in one of more than 50 vigils around Australia organised by activist group GetUp.
Source: Dutton confirms refugees will leave Manus
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