Protestors call for ‘real Pacific Solution’

NEW ZEALAND – Activists in Wellington say New Zealand and Australia should come up with a joint plan to deal with asylum seekers without putting them through detention.

They were among protestors outside the New Zealand Parliament on Thursday highlighting Australia’s treatment of asylum seekers in camps like those on Nauru and Manus Island.

Peace Action Wellington’s Emma Cullen said the detention model was broken and the countries’ governments should go beyond closing the camps and come up with a real “Pacific Solution”.

“We’ve got a responsibility as leaders in the Pacific to actually address this issue with a real solution.

“I think they need to come together and actually get rid of the model of detention altogether and accept asylum seekers and refugees into our countries without putting them through detention,” she said. - RNZI