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Hundreds protest across Australia for release of Manus Island refugees

New Zealand’s repeated offer to rehome 150 of the men has been rejected.

Hundreds of protesters marched in cities across Australia yesterday calling for the re-housing of refugees on Manus Island today.

Refugee Behrouz Boochani, who has been on Manus Island for four and a half years, says: "I hope today become a historical day in for refugees in Manus and Narau and also Christmas Island and also for Australian society."

Hundreds of refugees, including Mr Boochani, were forcibly moved from one detention centre to a new one two days ago.

The UN and human rights groups have condemned the new facility, which has yet to be completed, after some areas were found to be lacking power and proper sanitation.

Refugee Action Coalition's Ian Rintoul says: "It is illegal, not just under international law. It has shocked the international community. I mean, this has brought a wave of international condemnation on Australia that we haven't seen before."

New Zealand's offer to re-home 150 of the men have been repeatedly rejected by the Australian government.

"So, by taking the refugees, it's going to send a clear message to these people smugglers and everyone else who'd come out there, 'You'll end up in New Zealand, and you can actually then come across to Australia,' and that's not what we want," One Nation Party leader Pauline Hanson said.

Iranian refugee and MP Golriz Ghahraman says: "I think Australia's waiting for the world to turn its eyes away, and that's what worries me.

"I think Australia knows that if it stalls and it stalls, we might all turn away, but we're not going to," she says.

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