A riot that caused tens of millions of dollars in damage to the Nauru immigration detention centre ended hours before the arrival of the first boat of asylum seekers who will face settlement outside of Australia.
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd announced about 4.30pm (AEST) on Friday that all approved asylum seekers who arrive by boat will now be resettled in Papua New Guinea.
Unknown to him, about 150 of the 545 male detainees at the Nauru centre were continuing a peaceful protest action that began earlier in the week.
They were aggrieved over long delays relating to their refugee claims.
By late afternoon, fires were lit, local riot police had arrived and a government plea to the public brought about 1000 local males to the scene armed with machetes and other makeshift weapons.
On Saturday morning, freelance photographer Clint Deidenang described the scene as a "war zone".
"Smokes (sic) can be seen from the torched storey buildings ... 95 per cent buildings burned out."
He said workers clad in orange shirts could be seen going though the wreckage, including new sleeping quarters worth tens of millions of dollars.
"All burned buildings are now unliveable. Total waste of moneys...
"The entire buildings are burned down. Very destructive."
Plastic water tanks near the facility had "melted like butter" while the roofs of once colourful buildings had "caved in".
The centre reportedly suffered $60 million in damages.
It's estimated that between half to all of the rioters were in local police custody.
Hundreds more had reportedly escaped from the facility but an immigration spokeswoman later said all detainees were accounted for.
The department said an undisclosed number of asylum seekers and guards received medical treatment for injuries.
Ian Rintoul, from the Refugee Action Coalition, said the detainees had been protesting all week.
On Friday, they intended to break out and march to the airport before returning to the detention centre.
About the time the protest turned violent, two more boats of asylum seekers were intercepted. They were the last to be processed under the old system.
A few hours after the riot ended, a third boat carrying 81 passengers and two crew was intercepted near Christmas Island.
Whatever their status, they will never be resettled in Australia.
Immigration Minister Tony Burke said the rioters face possible criminal prosecution under Nauru law and could be denied refugee status based on the character test.
"Be in no doubt that the sort of crimes that appear to have been committed are crimes which carry serious prison sentences," he said.
Opposition immigration spokesman Scott Morrison said everyone who was located at the centre would now have to be relocated to the other site on the island, which was being built for family accommodation.
Foreign Minister Bob Carr said he'd been "struck by the level of support both in the Pacific region and beyond" for the Rudd government's new plan to resettled asylum-seeking boat arrivals.
Share
