The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has
criticised Australia's lack of responsibility over the Manus Island
violence in a Senate inquiry submission, as documents show the
disturbance at the detention centre was so widespread the telephone and
computers were damaged.



The UNHCR says regional processing does not extinguish
Australia’s legal responsibility for the protection of asylum seekers
who have been transferred to Manus Island, and that the safety of asylum
seekers should be equally shared between Australia and Papua New
Guinea.




The submission also questioned the lengthy delays in
processing asylum seekers on the island, which has contributed to
anxiety and uncertainty.



In March, Immigration Minister Scott Morrison maintained the processing of asylum seekers was almost "decision ready".




It is believed one asylum seeker has been told his claim is likely to be recognised.



One asylum seeker was killed in a night of fighting between detainees and guards in February.



In a separate Senate submission, a former Salvation Army
worker described continual racial tension between PNG locals and asylum
seekers on the island in the months before the violence.



The worker, Christopher Iacono, claims "cross-cultural
awareness" between the PNG guards and the asylum seekers was never
addressed.



He also said the food served was often riddled with insects and flies had been "baked into the bread".



"Many asylum seekers were told by G4S that PNG nationals were
cannibals and that PNG on a national scale was rife with criminal
activity," Mr Iacono said.



He was working on the island with Nicole Judge, who has also
made a submission to the inquiry alleging regular beatings, racist slurs
and unwanted sexual advances by G4S guards. 



Senate estimate documents also show the violence on Manus
Island - which was largely attributed to the uncertainty of when the
asylum seekers would be processed - was so rife it left the computer and
telephone in the detention centre damaged.



"The telephone and internet was not turned off at any time
but the telephone and computers were damaged during the disturbances,"
the Immigration Department secretary Martin Bowles said in an answer to
Senate estimate questions.



It is believed the asylum seeker who was killed in the
violence, Reza Barati, had just left the computer room when he was
brutally attacked.



It comes as the federal government announced on Thursday that
six detention centres in Australia will be closed, including the
Northern Immigration Detention Centre in Darwin, Darwin’s Airport Lodge,
the Aqua and Lilac facilities at Christmas Island and the Curtin
facility in Western Australia.



The centres are likely to be closed as soon as next month, with the government claiming savings of $280 million.