Detainees at an Australian asylum-seeker camp in Papua New Guinea won millions of dollars in compensation for "degrading and cruel" treatment Wednesday, in a decision hailed as an important human rights victory.

Abuse, self-harm and mental health problems are reportedly rife in offshore processing centres, with detainees resorting to desperate protests like sewing their own lips together to raise awareness of their plight.

Wednesday's AUS$70 million (£41.6 million) conditional settlement, to be shared by 1,905 people who have been held on Manus Island since 2012, averted a public trial against the government and security providers Transfield and G4S.

A class action had sought damages for what claimants said was suffering due to the harsh conditions in which they 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.</s>(CNN) The Australian government has agreed to pay detainees on Manus Island more than $70 million (US$52.75 million) in the "largest settlement in a human rights class-action" in the country's history.

More than 1,900 detainees had alleged they suffered serious physical and psychological injuries during their time in the Australian government's offshore asylum seeker detention center on the Papua New Guinea island, between 2012 and 2016.

Australian law firm Slater and Gordon, who represented the plaintiffs, confirmed Wednesday a deal had been struck with the government, although it had yet to be approved by the court.

Majid Kamasaee, a 35-year-old Iranian detainee, who was held on the center for 11 months after fleeing Iran, was the lead plaintiff in the case.

A 2014 photo from Australian Department of Immigration and Citizenship of the Manus Island Regional Processing Facility.

"I came to Australia seeking peace but I was sent to Manus which was hell," Kamasaee said in a statement after the announcement.

"I was in pain every minute of every day and I cried every night until I had nothing left."

Australia has long been criticized for its offshore detention centers, including the one on Manus, where it has held thousands of asylum seekers and refugees since 2012 who have attempted to reach its shores.

Settlement could lead to other claims

The large settlement for the Manus detainees could leave the Australian government open to other class actions, including from asylum seekers held on Nauru, Ben Saul, University of Sydney Challis Chair of International Law, told CNN.

"They settled to make it go away so I think that does give a fairly good indication that even the government thinks the treatment of people in detention was not satisfactory by existing legal standard," he said.

Saul said about $70 million was a "substantial" settlement and provided some sort of vindication for outside observers who had been calling for compensation for years, including the United Nations.

"But 50,000 for losing years of your life into the black hole of illegal detention is hardly going to give you your life back," he said.

Slater and Gordon principal lawyer Andrew Baker told reporters Wednesday the detainees on Manus Island no longer had to "suffer in silence."

"Most were fleeing religious persecution and violence and came to Australia seeking protection, only to be denied their basic human rights," he said.

Opponents to Australia's offshore detention centers for asylum seekers were quick to celebrate the settlement.

"The decision by the Australian Government to pay compensation ... is a stunning admission of the barbaric conditions in the detention center," independent politician Andrew Wilkie said in a statement.

"It's unambiguous proof of the need to shut down all offshore processing immediately ... Australia's response to asylum seekers is unethical and illegal under international law."

Australian Greens party Immigration spokesman Nick McKim said in a statement the settlement showed the government was responsible for the deliberate harm suffered by detainees.

"By accepting this settlement, (Immigration Minister) Peter Dutton takes responsibility for the deaths, the serious injuries, the torture and the ongoing harm to Manus Island detainees," he said.</s>More than 1,900 Manus Island detainees had alleged they suffered serious physical and psychological injuries during their time on the Papua New Guinea island.

Australian law firm Slater and Gordon, who represented the plaintiffs, confirmed Wednesday a deal had been struck with the government, although it had yet to be approved by the court.

35-year-old Iranian Majid Kamasaee, who was detained on the center for 11 months after fleeing Iran, was the lead plaintiff in the case.

"I came to Australia seeking peace but I was sent to Manus which was hell," Kamasaee said in a statement after the announcement.

"I was in pain every minute of every day and I cried every night until I had nothing left." Australia has long been criticized for its offshore detention centers, including the one on Manus, where it has held hundreds of asylum seekers and refugees who have attempted to reach its shores. Pence says US will honor refugee deal with Australia As of April, 821 men were still detained by Australia on Manus Island. Almost a quarter of all those held by Australia have been in detention for more than two years. Slater and Gordon principal lawyer Andrew Baker told reporters Wednesday the detainees on Manus Island no longer had to "suffer in silence." "Most were fleeing religious persecution and violence and came to Australia seeking protection, only to be denied their basic human rights," he said. The Australian government announced in August 2016 it would close the Manus Island center , although there has been no update on when exactly it might happen. Developing story - more to come</s>Manus Island detainees will receive AUS$70million (NZD$73m) in the settlement of a class action against the Australian government.

Lawyers for the detainees have reached a conditional settlement with the Australian Government and the operators of the Manus Island Regional Processing Centre.

Slater and Gordon principal lawyer Andrew Baker said the case had been settled for AUS$70m plus costs.

The class action was seeking damages on behalf of 1905 group members who, legal firm Slater and Gordon says, cover the majority of people detained on Manus Island since 2012.

The detainees wanted compensation from the Australian Government and the detention centre managers for alleged physical and psychological injuries they argue they suffered as a result of the conditions in which they were held.

Slater and Gordon Principal Lawyer Andrew Baker said in a statement most of the detainees were fleeing persecution and violence, but endured alleged "terrible conditions" on Manus Island.

The statement also said it was thought to be the largest human rights class action taken in Australian legal history.

The class action also sought damages for false imprisonment after the PNG Supreme Court ruled the detention of asylum seekers on Manus Island was unconstitutional.

The Australian Government and the companies that have managed the Manus Island Regional Processing Centre, G4S Australia and Broadspectrum (formerly Transfield Services), had denied the claims.

The settlement could potentially lead to the withdrawal of a separate legal action in Papua New Guinea alleging false imprisonment against the PNG government, which lawyers estimated could be worth at least AUS$150m for about 1000 detainees.

Lawyers Greg Toop and Ben Lomai have estimated the men in the PNG case could each receive more than 400,000 PNG kina (AUS$150,000-$175,000).

The settlement details in the Australian class action will be confidential and subject to court approval.

Slater and Gordon had said the Australian class action would shine a light on the conditions the detainees experienced on Manus Island.</s>The Federal Government has agreed to pay compensation of $70 million to 1,905 asylum seekers who alleged they endured physical and psychological harm on Manus Island between 2012 and 2016.

The group alleged the Commonwealth breached its duty of care by holding them in conditions that did not meet Australian standards.

During the period of their incarceration there was also a riot that resulted in the death of an asylum seeker and serious injuries to other detainees.

They also claimed they were falsely imprisoned after Papua New Guinea's Supreme Court ruled their detention was illegal.

A Victorian Supreme Court trial against the Commonwealth and security companies Transfield and G4S, which had been delayed for several months, was due to start today and had been expected to run for six months.

When it began, legal representatives for the plaintiff told the court it had reached an agreement to settle the case.

The in-principle agreement, subject to court approval, will include payment of plaintiffs' legal costs, which to date are more than $20 million.

Slater and Gordon lawyer Rory Walsh said the settlement agreement was not an admission of liability from the Government.

"It denied it was doing the false imprisoning ... the Commonwealth defence was that it was the PNG authorities doing the imprisoning and detaining and not them.

"The denial of liability allows the Commonwealth and the defendants to run those positions in any other cases and maintain that position, the extent to which this $70 million settlement undermines the ability for them to do that or whether indeed it passes the pub test, is a matter for others to comment upon.

"We just ran it as a legal case."

Lawyer Andrew Baker, also from Slater and Gordon, said if the settlement was approved, individual amounts of compensation would be decided based on the asylum seekers' experience.

"Individual settlement amounts will be calculated fairly, objectively and individually with regard to the length of each person's detention, the events and conditions they have experienced and been present for and the severity of injuries each person has suffered," he said.

"This settlement is an important step towards recognising the extremely hostile conditions the detainees endured at Manus Island.

"Fleeing religious persecution and violence and they came to Australia seeking protection but rather than considering their cases on shore, the Government sent this vulnerable group of people to be held on Manus Island indefinitely."

'We are finally being heard'

The class action was led by 35-year-old Iranian man Majid Karami Kamasaee, who was detained on Manus Island for 11 months from September 2013, and remains in a Melbourne detention centre.

Mr Kamasaee claimed he was persecuted by Iranian authorities for converting to Christianity, and that he had to flee the country under threat of being jailed for his religious beliefs.

He attempted to reach Australia by boat from Indonesia but it was intercepted by the Navy and he was transferred to the offshore processing centre.

In a statement read by lawyer Ebony Birchall, Mr Kamasaee said the settlement agreement meant he and his friends still in detention were "finally being heard".

"Sadly many of my friends are still on Manus Island. It feels like they have been given life sentences.

"Our voices have never been listened to but today we are finally being heard and I hope everyone's suffering can be over as quickly as possible."

Law firm Slater and Gordon, which ran the class action, believed it to have been the largest immigration detention trial ever in Australia.</s>A class action seeking damages for almost 2,000 men detained in an offshore processing centre on Manus Island has been settled.



The legal action by 1,905 men against the Immigration Department was scheduled to commence on Wednesday morning in the Victorian Supreme Court, but instead of a six month trial beginning, it was announced a settlement had been reached. Law firm Slater and Gordon, which brought the action, confirmed a $70m "conditional settlement" had been reached.

 The class action was brought on behalf of the men who were detained on the island from November 2012 to December 2014, against the Commonwealth of Australia and its contracted service providers G4S and Broadspectrum (formerly known as Transfield).

A refugee who was one of the plaintiffs told BuzzFeed News he could proudly say the Australian government "did something wrong" now. "Money can't bring back my four years I spent in hell," he said. "We didn't make this dangerous journey to get money or a luxury life, we just fled our home land to protect our life from danger. This injustice can not be undone with money to cover this awful history." Slater and Gordon said the result may represent the largest human rights class action settlement in Australian legal history.

 "No amount of money will be able to fully recognise the terrible conditions these detainees have had to endure, but with today's settlement, we hope they can be provided with an opportunity to put this dark chapter of their lives behind them," the firm's principal lawyer Andrew Baker told reporters on Wednesday.

"To date, Australian taxpayers have paid more than $13.7 billion to clean up Labor's loss of control of our borders," Dutton said in a statement on Wednesday. "Today another $90 million was added to that bill with the settlement of the Manus class action. "The settlement provides $70 million for the plaintiffs while No Win-No Fee law firm Slater and Gordon will pocket an estimated $20 million in costs." He said it was a "prudent outcome" for Australian taxpayers because the six month legal battle would have cost "tens of millions of dollars in legal fees alone". "Settlement is not an admission of liability in any regard." The lead plaintiff is Iranian refugee Majid Kamasaee, who fled his homeland due to religious persecution in 2010, and was detained at the centre for 11 months. “This case is not just about me, it is about every person who has been trapped on Manus Island,” Kamasaee said through a statement released by his lawyers. “I was in pain every minute of every day and I cried every night until I had nothing left.

The plaintiff alleged that detainees suffered serious physical and psychological injuries as a result of the conditions in which they were held on Manus Island in the period. During that time there were riots at the detention centre (February 2014) in which one detainee was killed and dozens were seriously injured.

 A second claim for false imprisonment was added to the action in 2016 after the PNG Supreme Court ruled that the detention of asylum seekers on Manus Island was unlawful and in breach of that nation's constitution. The terms of the settlement have not been disclosed or agreed upon by a judge. A settlement distribution scheme will be finalised in coming weeks and submitted to the Supreme Court of Victoria for approval. Lawyers from Slater and Gordon will visit Manus Island to explain the details to detainees in person. Figures obtained under a Freedom of Information request lodged by the Australian Lawyer's Alliance revealed that from 1999 to 2011, the Immigration Department paid $23.4 million in compensation to detainees in Australian-run immigration detention centres.</s>CANBERRA: The Australian government on Wednesday agreed to pay detainees on Manus Island more than A$70 million ($53 million) in the “largest settlement in a human rights class-action” in the country’s history.Over 1,900 asylum seekers who were held, or are currently being held, at the government’s offshore detention centre on the island filed a class action suit claiming that the government did not deliver on its duty of care by housing them in.The detainees claimed they were exposed to conditions which were not up to Australian standards between 2012 and 2016. They also claimed wrongful imprisonment or psychological damage, Xinhua news agency reported.Lawyers representing the asylum seekers confirmed the case had been settled out of court and said recipients could be given up to A$150,000 ($113,248) each for the poor treatment.In a statement, immigration minister Peter Dutton said the settlement was not an admission of guilt on behalf of the Commonwealth , rather, the more cost-effective way of settling the claim. Dutton blamed the previous Labour government for reopening the Manus Island centre when it was not up to standard.</s>Detainees at a controversial Australian asylum-seeker camp in Papua New Guinea won Aus$70 million ($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.

Lawyers Slater and Gordon said they believed it was the largest human rights class action settlement in Australian history, with the defendants also agreeing to pay costs of more than Aus$20 million.a

"The people detained on Manus Island have endured extremely hostile conditions, but they will no longer suffer in silence," said Andrew Baker, from the law firm.

"While no amount of money could fully recognise the terrible conditions the detainees endured, we hope today´s settlement can begin to provide them with an opportunity to help put this dark chapter of their lives behind them."

The Manus facility opened in 2012 to detain people trying to enter Australia by boat under a tough immigration policy that sends them offshore to be processed.

They are blocked from resettling in Australia even if found to be refugees.

Conditions in the camp, and another one on Nauru in the Pacific, have been widely criticised by refugee advocates and medical professionals, with reports of widespread abuse, self-harm and mental health issues.

Lead plaintiff Majid Kamasaee, an Iranian, welcomed the settlement as an overdue acknowledgement of the suffering he and others endured.

"This case is not just about me, it is about every person who has been trapped on Manus Island," said Kamasaee, who was held there for 11 months

"I left my home in Iran in 2013 because of religious persecution and I came to Australia seeking peace, but I was sent to Manus, which was hell.

"The way we were treated at the Manus Island detention centre was degrading and cruel."

The government had no immediate response but Slater and Gordon lawyer Rory Walsh told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation the agreement was not an admission of liability from Canberra.

"It denied it was doing the false imprisoning... the Commonwealth defence was that it was the PNG authorities doing the imprisoning and detaining and not them," he said.

"The denial of liability allows the Commonwealth and the defendants to run those positions in any other cases and maintain that position."</s>Sydney - Detainees at an Australian asylum-seeker camp in Papua New Guinea won millions of dollars in compensation for “degrading and cruel” treatment Wednesday, in a decision hailed as an important human rights victory.

Abuse, self-harm and mental health problems are reportedly rife in offshore processing centres, with detainees resorting to desperate protests like sewing their own lips together to raise awareness of their plight. Wednesday’s AUS$70 million (US$53 million) conditional settlement, to be shared by 1,905 people who have been held on Manus Island since 2012, averted a public trial against the government and security providers Transfield and G4S.

A class action had sought damages for what claimants said was suffering due to the harsh conditions in which they 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.

Law firm Slater and Gordon said they believed it was the largest human rights class action settlement in Australian history, with the defendants also agreeing to pay more than Aus$20 million in costs. “The people detained on Manus Island have endured extremely hostile conditions, but they will no longer suffer in silence,” said the firm’s Andrew Baker.

“While no amount of money could fully recognise the terrible conditions the detainees endured, we hope today’s settlement can begin to provide them with an opportunity to help put this dark chapter of their lives behind them.”

The Manus detention facility opened in 2012 to hold people trying to enter Australia by boat, under a tough immigration policy that sends them offshore to be processed.

They are blocked from resettling in Australia even if found to be refugees.

Conditions in the camp, and another one on Nauru in the Pacific, have been widely criticised by refugee advocates and medical professionals, with reports of maltreatment and neglect, leading to serious health problems.

Amnesty International called the decision “historic” and “a major crack in the Australian government’s crumbling system of abuse”.

“It must be a turning point towards a better solution for refugees - one that is grounded in protection, not abuse,” said Amnesty Pacific researcher Kate Schuetze.

Immigration Minister Peter Dutton said the payout was not an admission of liability, but to avoid a costly six-month trial.

“In such circumstances a settlement was considered a prudent outcome for Australian taxpayers,” he said in a statement.

“The Commonwealth strongly refutes and denies the claims made in these proceedings. Settlement is not an admission of liability in any regard.” Slater and Gordon lawyer Rory Walsh said the government and its contractor’s defence “was that it was the PNG authorities doing the imprisoning and detaining and not them”.

“The denial of liability allows the Commonwealth and the defendants to run those positions in any other cases and maintain that position,” he told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

Lead plaintiff Majid Kamasaee, an Iranian, welcomed the settlement as an overdue acknowledgement of the suffering he and others endured.

“This case is not just about me, it is about every person who has been trapped on Manus Island,” said Kamasaee, who was held there for 11 months “I left my home in Iran in 2013 because of religious persecution and I came to Australia seeking peace, but I was sent to Manus, which was hell.

“The way we were treated at the Manus Island detention centre was degrading and cruel.”

While the Manus camp needs to close following the PNG court decision, Dutton has made clear those housed there would not be moved to Australia but instead relocated to third countries such as the United States and Cambodia, or resettled in PNG. The government has not revealed any plans to shut down the Nauru facility.</s>The Australian government has agreed to compensate 1,905 refugees it detained in Papua New Guinea under controversial asylum laws.

Australia turns away any refugees and asylum seekers trying to reach its territory by boat and sends them to centres in PNG and on Nauru.

The claimants said they suffered serious harm whilst being held on PNG's Manus Island between 2012 and 2016.

The claim was due to be heard in the Victoria Supreme Court on Wednesday.

But shortly before the trial began, lawyers for the claimants said the government and service providers had offered a last minute settlement.

The full details of the settlement and the financial package agreed are yet to be fully approved by the court.

What next for Manus Island asylum seekers?

Australia asylum: Why is it controversial?

Australia has already said it plans to close the Manus Island camp, but it remains unclear when that will happen.

It is also unclear what will happened to the remaining camp residents, but Australia has insisted that no-one held there will ever be re-settled in Australia.

The government says its policy on boat arrivals is intended to undermine the people-trafficking trade and prevent migrants from attempting the life-threatening journey to its shores.

But it has been heavily criticised both at home and internationally, including by the United Nations.
Australia agrees to pay AUS$70 million in compensation to 1,905 people who have been detained on Manus Island since 2012, so avoiding a public trial against the government and the Transfield and G4S private companies for the detainees' degrading and cruel treatment.