Asylum-seekers win multimillion dollar payout for enduring ‘extremely hostile conditions’ in Manus Island camp
Lawyers Slater and Gordon said they believed it was the largest human rights class action settlement in Australian history
Detainees at a controversial Australian asylum-seeker camp in Papua New Guinea won AUD$70 million (US$53 million) in compensation on Wednesday after alleging they suffered physical and psychological harm.
The settlement, to be shared by 1,905 people held on Manus Island since 2012, averted a public trial against the government and security providers Transfield and G4S.
A class action sought damages for alleged suffering due to harsh conditions in which detainees were held.
It also called for a payout for false imprisonment after the Papua New Guinea Supreme Court ruled last year that holding asylum-seekers on Manus Island was unconstitutional and illegal.
The Australian government confirmed the settlement, which it said it entered into to save taxpayers the expense of a costly trial. Immigration Minister Peter Dutton described settling the case as a “prudent” decision.
