Editing Pacific Solution (section)

==Papua New Guinea==
The '''Regional Resettlement Arrangement between Australia and Papua New Guinea''', colloquially known as the '''PNG solution''', is an [[Australian Government]] policy in which any [[asylum seekers|asylum seeker]] who comes to Australia by boat without a visa will be refused settlement in Australia, instead being settled in [[Papua New Guinea]] if they are found to be legitimate refugees. The policy includes a significant expansion of the [[Australian immigration detention facility]] on [[Manus Island]], where refugees will be sent to be processed prior to resettlement in Papua New Guinea, and if their refugee status is found to be non-genuine, they will be either repatriated, sent to a third country other than Australia or remain in detention indefinitely. The policy was announced on 19 July 2013 by [[Australian Prime Minister]] [[Kevin Rudd]] and Papua New Guinean Prime Minister [[Peter O'Neill]], effective immediately, in response to a growing number of asylum seeker boat arrivals. The then [[Leader of the Opposition (Australia)|Opposition Leader]] [[Tony Abbott]] initially welcomed the policy, while [[Australian Greens|Greens]] leader [[Christine Milne]] and several human rights advocate groups opposed it, with demonstrations protesting the policy held in every major Australian city after the announcement.

===Announcement===
In the fortnight prior to the announcement of the PNG solution, Rudd visited Indonesia for regular annual talks with Indonesian president [[Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono]] where they discussed asylum seeker issues, but played down expectations of a policy announcement.<ref>{{Cite web|url = http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-07-05/rudd-visits-indonesia/4801092|title = Kevin Rudd arrives in Jakarta for annual talks with Indonesian president|date = 5 July 2013|access-date = 26 July 2013|website = Australia Network News|publisher = [[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]]|archive-date = 14 July 2013|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130714014337/http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-07-05/rudd-visits-indonesia/4801092|url-status = live}}</ref> On 15 July, he and Immigration Minister [[Tony Burke]] visited Papua New Guinea to discuss asylum seeker policy, in light of a UN Refugee Agency report saying the Manus Island detention centre did not meet international standards.<ref>{{cite web|url = http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-07-14/asylum-seekers2c-trade-on-the-agenda-during-prime-minister-kev/4819332|title = Asylum seekers, trade on the agenda during Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's PNG visit|date = 15 July 2013|access-date = 26 July 2013|work = ABC News|publisher = Australian Broadcasting Corporation|archive-date = 23 July 2013|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130723004028/http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-07-14/asylum-seekers2c-trade-on-the-agenda-during-prime-minister-kev/4819332|url-status = live}}</ref>

On 19 July 2013, Rudd, Burke and Papua New Guinean Prime Minister [[Peter O'Neill]] announced the policy in Brisbane.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|url = http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-07-19/manus-island-detention-centre-to-be-expanded-under-rudd27s-asy/4830778|title = Asylum seekers arriving in Australia by boat to be resettled in Papua New Guinea|date = 20 July 2013|access-date = 25 July 2013|publisher = ABC News|archive-date = 24 July 2013|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130724194353/http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-07-19/manus-island-detention-centre-to-be-expanded-under-rudd27s-asy/4830778|url-status = live}}</ref> Rudd declared "From now on, any asylum seeker who arrives in Australia by boat will have no chance of being settled in Australia as refugees." In his speech, he said that asylum seekers taken to Christmas Island will be sent to Manus Island or elsewhere, where their refugee status will be assessed. The announcement also outlined plans to expand the Manus Island detention facility, from 600 occupants to 3,000. All refugees found to be legitimate will be resettled in Papua New Guinea. Any asylum seekers found to be non-genuine refugees will either be repatriated, moved to a third country other than Australia if it is unsafe to be repatriated, or remain in detention indefinitely. Australia will bear the full cost of the setup of the policy, as well as provide funding for reforms of Papua New Guinea's university sector, and assistance with health, education and law and order. Rudd described the policy as "a very hard-line decision" to "combat the scourge of people smuggling".<ref name=":2" /><ref>{{Cite web|url = http://www.pm.gov.au/press-office/transcript-joint-press-conference-2|title = Transcript of Joint Press Conference: Prime Minister, Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea, Minister for Immigration, Attorney-General|date = 19 July 2013|access-date = 26 July 2013|publisher = pm.gov.au|url-status = dead|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130726153301/http://www.pm.gov.au/press-office/transcript-joint-press-conference-2|archive-date = 26 July 2013|df = dmy-all}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url = http://www.immi.gov.au/visas/humanitarian/novisa/regional-arrangements.pdf|title = Regional Resettlement Arrangement between Australia and Papua New Guinea|access-date = 26 July 2013|publisher = immi.gov.au|archive-date = 10 August 2013|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130810050525/http://www.immi.gov.au/visas/humanitarian/novisa/regional-arrangements.pdf|url-status = dead}}</ref> The two-page Regional Resettlement Arrangement outlining the policy was signed by Rudd and O'Neill prior to the announcement.

===Reception===
The [[Leader of the Opposition (Australia)|Australian Opposition Leader]] Tony Abbott initially showed support for the policy, but said it "wouldn't work under Mr Rudd".<ref name=":2" /> The [[Australian Greens]] leader [[Christine Milne]] slammed the announcement, describing the announcement as "a day of shame".<ref name=":2" /> It was condemned by human rights groups such as [[Amnesty International Australia]], who wrote "Mark this day in history as the day Australia decided to turn its back on the world's most vulnerable people, closed the door and threw away the key";<ref>{{Cite web|url = https://www.amnesty.org.au/news/comments/32302/|title = Australia passes the parcel and closes the door to desperate boat arrivals|date = 19 July 2013|access-date = 26 July 2013|website = [[Amnesty International]] Australia|archive-date = 24 July 2013|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130724031810/http://www.amnesty.org.au/news/comments/32302/|url-status = live}}</ref> and the [[UN Refugee Agency]], describing the policy as potentially "harmful to the physical and psycho-social wellbeing of transferees, particularly families and children".<ref>{{Cite web|url = http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/immigration/un-refugee-agency-condemns-kevin-rudds-png-asylum-seeker-plan/story-fn9hm1gu-1226686151213|title = UN refugee agency condemns Kevin Rudd's PNG asylum-seeker plan|date = 26 July 2013|access-date = 26 July 2013|website = [[The Australian]]|last = Packham|first = Ben|archive-date = 27 July 2013|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130727055420/http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/immigration/un-refugee-agency-condemns-kevin-rudds-png-asylum-seeker-plan/story-fn9hm1gu-1226686151213|url-status = live}}</ref> Protests of hundreds of refugee supporters were held in Melbourne,<ref>{{cite web|url = http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/hundreds-of-refugee-supporters-protest-kevin-rudds-dramatic-new-asylum-boat-plan-in-melbournes-cbd/story-fni0fit3-1226682391909|title = Hundreds of refugee supporters protest Kevin Rudd's dramatic new asylum boat plan in Melbourne's CBD|date = 20 July 2013|access-date = 26 July 2013|website = [[Herald Sun]]|last = Landy|first = Samantha|archive-date = 23 July 2013|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130723034351/http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/hundreds-of-refugee-supporters-protest-kevin-rudds-dramatic-new-asylum-boat-plan-in-melbournes-cbd/story-fni0fit3-1226682391909|url-status = live}}</ref> Sydney,<ref>{{Cite web|url = http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-07-22/angry-protesters-confront-rudd-over-asylum/4835008|title = Angry protesters confront Prime Minister Kevin Rudd in Sydney over asylum policy|date = 22 July 2013|access-date = 26 July 2013|work = ABC News|publisher = Australian Broadcasting Corporation|archive-date = 25 July 2013|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130725002816/http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-07-22/angry-protesters-confront-rudd-over-asylum/4835008|url-status = live}}</ref> Perth,<ref>{{Cite web|url = http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-07-20/perth-protest/4832912|title = Protests call for new asylum policy to be dumped|date = 20 July 2013|access-date = 26 July 2013|work = ABC News|publisher = Australian Broadcasting Corporation|archive-date = 24 July 2013|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130724235149/http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-07-20/perth-protest/4832912|url-status = live}}</ref> Brisbane and Adelaide<ref>{{Cite web|url = http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-07-21/hundreds-rally-in-brisbane-and-adelaide-against-png-asylum-seek/4833824|title = Hundreds rally in Brisbane and Adelaide against PNG asylum seeker plan|date = 21 July 2013|access-date = 26 July 2013|work = ABC News|publisher = Australian Broadcasting Corporation|archive-date = 24 July 2013|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130724235235/http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-07-21/hundreds-rally-in-brisbane-and-adelaide-against-png-asylum-seek/4833824|url-status = live}}</ref> following the announcement.

On Manus Island, public opinion regarding the policy and the expansion of the detention centre was mixed.<ref>{{cite web|url = http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/manus-island-on-high-alert-with-malaria-outbreak-as-asylum-seeker-detainees-head-for-makeshift-detention-centre-in-png/story-fnihsrf2-1226683972595|title = Manus Island on high alert with malaria outbreak as asylum seeker detainees head for makeshift detention centre in PNG|date = 24 July 2013|access-date = 26 July 2013|website = [[The Courier-Mail|Courier Mail]]|last = Michael|first = Peter|archive-date = 24 July 2013|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130724102143/http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/manus-island-on-high-alert-with-malaria-outbreak-as-asylum-seeker-detainees-head-for-makeshift-detention-centre-in-png/story-fnihsrf2-1226683972595|url-status = live}}</ref> Gary Juffa, governor of the [[Oro Province]], suggested asylum seekers resettled there are likely to be met with hostility.<ref>{{Cite web|url = http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-07-22/locals-warn-asylum-seeker-plan-will-add-to-png27s-problems/4834718|title = Asylum seekers to receive hostile reception in PNG: local governor|date = 22 July 2013|access-date = 26 July 2013|work = ABC News|publisher = Australian Broadcasting Corporation|archive-date = 26 July 2013|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130726201931/http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-07-22/locals-warn-asylum-seeker-plan-will-add-to-png27s-problems/4834718|url-status = live}}</ref>