Government investigates 'unusual' powers to send refugees back to Manus, Nauru

The federal government is concerned that asylum seekers who leave Manus Island or Nauru for medical treatment may never go back due to a legal loophole.

Repealing medical evacuation laws for asylum seekers and refugees will lead to more deaths in offshore detention, senators have been told.

این چهار پناهجو مدعی هستند که در بازداشتگاه نارو به خدمات درمانی لازم دسترسی نداشته‌اند. Source: AAP

The government is looking at using "unusual powers" to close what it says is a loophole that would prevent asylum seekers transferred to Australia for medical treatment from being sent back to Manus Island and Nauru.

Attorney-General Christian Porter has blamed poor drafting of medical evacuation laws passed last week against the government's will for the loophole.

"There is no lawful authority for the government to return medical transferees once they come to Australia and they're detained on Christmas Island," Mr Porter told reporters on Thursday.

Labor calls for 'urgent' audit of $423m Manus Island contract

난민옹호단체, 난민 의료 이송법 통과 환영

노동당 "난민 환자 호주 이송은 인도적"...법안 파동 강변

However, Labor maintains nothing has changed.

Labor's immigration spokesperson Shayne Neumann said the new laws had not changed the returns system.

The federal government is concerned that asylum seekers who leave Manus Island or Nauru for medical treatment may never go back.

AAP

"If a person is transferred to Australia for temporary medical treatment, we will return them to Manus or Nauru once doctors advise they have completed medical treatment," he said in a statement.

"This is a desperate distraction from a government trying anything to hide from its scandals and from bowing down to the big banks."