Protesters call for sanctions on Australia ‘until the people on Manus are free’ as blockade causes significant traffic delays

This article is more than 2 years old

This article is more than 2 years old

Protesters have blockaded Melbourne’s container port in opposition to Australia’s offshore immigration detention regime.

The port – Australia’s busiest – was blockaded at three entrances on Monday morning, with protesters blocking road entrances and unveiling a banner that read: “All refugees in detention are political prisoners.”

Three climbers suspended themselves above three road entrances to the port and refused to come down.

“Today we are taking action against Australia’s border policy, which remains open to corporate profits, yet is violently closed to those seeking safety,” said SOS Manus spokeswoman Charlotte Lynch.

“We support the calls made by refugees and ex-detainees for international sanctions to be placed on Australia until the people on Manus are free.”

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The protest has caused significant traffic delays around the port. Victoria police are at the site.

A spokeswoman for Victoria police said there would be a police presence at the rally to maintain public safety.

“People have every right to protest. However, we ask that they do so peacefully and without impacting on the rest of the community,” she said.

“Police will be monitoring the rally to ensure there are no breaches of the peace or crimes occurring.”

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Refugee advocates hold up a banner during a blockade of the Melbourne port.

The deal to resettle refugees from Australian detention centres on Manus Island and Nauru in the United States is progressing on both sides.

Close to 200 refugees – about 60 from Manus and 130 from Nauru – will move to the US in January. Fifty-four refugees were moved in September.

But the newly reinstated travel ban imposed by the US president, Donald Trump, excludes people of certain nationalities, including Iranians and Somalis, from resettlement. Iranians are the largest national group on both Manus and Nauru.

The US could take up to 1,250 refugees from Australia’s offshore camps – not enough to clear them – but it’s unclear precisely how many it will ultimately accept.

Australia’s return obligation – to take central American refugees from refugee camps in Costa Rica – has also begun.

Thirty people from seven families have moved to Australia after several months of assessment by the immigration department. It is understood they fled gang-related violence in El Salvador and had been living in hiding before being transferred to Costa Rica.

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The number of refugees fleeing criminal violence in the “northern triangle” countries of El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras has escalated in recent years: nearly 10% of the 30 million people who live in those countries have fled across borders because of extortion, rape and forced gang recruitment after decades of civil war and conflict.

Most of those displaced are fleeing north towards Mexico and the US. The US runs refugee camps in Costa Rica and has brokered assistance in resettling people from there.

The US refugee deal was agreed between the prime minister, Malcolm Turnbull, and former US president Barack Obama in November 2016.

Trump has described the arrangement as a “dumb deal” and lambasted Turnbull over it during a fractious phone call in January. His administration, however, has insisted the deal will be upheld.