Australian and Papua New Guinean governments say the Manus Island centre will close on October 31, by which time all detainees will have been removed.

On June 23 detention centre staff and local police closed down the on-site gym and removed the equipment, refugees have told BuzzFeed News.



"[The gym] was so important for our mental health," a refugee from Afghanistan, who asked not to be identified, told BuzzFeed News.

"We could easily spend two hours a day in the gym because it helped us to sleep well, as we felt tired afterwards.

"When we had appointments with mental health doctors they always told us to do exercise because many guys focus on their bodies instead of thinking about harming themselves and thinking negatively."