The Claim
“Forced Manus Island staffers to lie to detainees.”
Original Sources Provided
✅ FACTUAL VERIFICATION
The claim is based on allegations made by Liz Thompson, a former migration agent who worked on Manus Island and resigned following the February 2014 riots. Thompson claimed she was instructed by superiors to tell detainees that their only option was resettlement in Papua New Guinea (PNG), despite knowing no such resettlement process actually existed [1].
According to Thompson's SBS Dateline interview, she and other staff were given a script to follow during refugee assessments and were explicitly told not to discuss resettlement options, third-country options, or suggest that detainees would be able to leave PNG [1]. She stated: "We were lying to people and we were told to keep that message going" [1].
The Minister for Immigration and Border Protection, Scott Morrison, denied these allegations through a spokeswoman who stated: "With regard to reports that the transferees were advised that they will not be settled in PNG, the Minister has been advised that those reports are false" [1].
The allegations emerged during a Senate inquiry into the February 2014 riots at Manus Island that resulted in the death of Iranian asylum seeker Reza Barati [2].
Missing Context
Historical Context of Offshore Detention:
The claim omits that offshore detention on Manus Island was not a Coalition innovation. The policy was originally established under the Howard Government (2001-2008), closed under the Rudd Labor Government (2008), then reintroduced by the Labor Gillard Government in August 2012 [3][4]. The Manus Island facility reopened in November 2012 under Labor's administration, more than a year before the Coalition took office in September 2013 [4].
The PNG Regional Resettlement Arrangement:
The claim fails to mention that the PNG resettlement arrangement at the heart of Thompson's allegations was established by Labor Prime Minister Kevin Rudd on July 19, 2013, just months before the election [5]. On that date, Rudd announced: "Asylum seekers who come here by boat without a visa will never be settled in Australia" [5]. This policy, colloquially known as the "PNG Solution," was struck between Australia and Papua New Guinea as a Regional Resettlement Arrangement [5].
No Independent Verification:
Thompson's allegations were never independently verified or substantiated through official investigations. The Senate inquiry into the Manus Island riots focused on security failures and the death of Reza Barati, not on the specific allegations about staff being forced to lie [2]. The claims represent one former employee's testimony against the government's denial.
Detainee Knowledge:
Thompson herself acknowledged that detainees "watch the news, they read the newspapers" and were aware that "there's no decision from the Papua New Guinean Government on resettlement" [1]. This suggests detainees had access to information beyond what staff told them.
Source Credibility Assessment
SBS News/Dateline:
The original source is SBS News, Australia's public multicultural broadcaster. SBS operates under a statutory charter requiring it to provide "multilingual and multicultural radio and television services that inform, educate and entertain all Australians" [6]. SBS is generally considered a credible mainstream news source, though like all media organizations, it has its own editorial perspectives.
Liz Thompson:
Thompson was a migration agent who resigned publicly from Manus Island. As a whistleblower, she had direct insider experience but also had a clear motive to criticize the system she left. Her characterization of the facility as "an experiment in the active creation of horror to deter people" reflects strong personal views [1]. Without corroborating evidence or testimony from other staff members making similar claims, her allegations remain uncorroborated.
Government Response:
The Immigration Minister's office directly denied the allegations, indicating that internal advice contradicted Thompson's claims [1].
Labor Comparison
Did Labor do something similar?
Search conducted: "Labor offshore detention reintroduced 2012 Nauru Manus"
Finding: Labor not only reintroduced offshore detention but also established the specific policy framework at issue in this claim.
Labor Reopened Manus Island (November 2012): The Gillard Labor Government reopened the Manus Island detention centre in November 2012, before the Coalition took office [3][4]. This was part of Labor's "Pacific Solution Mark II" which also reopened Nauru.
Labor Created the PNG Arrangement (July 2013): The specific resettlement policy that Thompson alleged staff were forced to misrepresent was established by Labor Prime Minister Kevin Rudd on July 19, 2013 [5]. This "PNG Solution" declared that no boat arrivals would ever be settled in Australia.
Labor Continued Support: Parliamentary records confirm that "Labor's continued support for offshore processing under the Coalition Government was confirmed in July 2015 in Labor's asylum seeker policy" [7].
Labor Maintained Offshore Detention: As of 2024-2025, the Albanese Labor Government has continued offshore detention arrangements with Nauru, including negotiating new deals to maintain the policy [8].
Comparison: The alleged conduct (if it occurred) relates to the implementation of a policy framework that Labor established and both major parties have maintained. If staff were instructed to provide incomplete information about resettlement options, this would have occurred under a system Labor created mere months before the election.
Balanced Perspective
The Whistleblower's Position:
Liz Thompson's allegations, if true, would represent serious ethical violations in the treatment of vulnerable detainees. Her testimony painted a disturbing picture of a processing system she described as "fake" and "not designed as a processing facility" but rather as "an experiment in the active creation of horror to deter people from trying in the first place" [1]. Her resignation and public statements required considerable courage and represented genuine concerns about the treatment of asylum seekers.
The Government's Position:
The Coalition Government, through Minister Scott Morrison, explicitly denied the allegations. The denial suggests either: (a) the allegations were inaccurate or exaggerated, (b) the practices were not official policy but individual actions, or (c) internal advice contradicted Thompson's experience. The government maintained that resettlement in PNG was the intended pathway, even if implementation was delayed.
The Complexity of Offshore Processing:
Offshore detention has been a bipartisan policy in Australia for over two decades, with both major parties implementing, expanding, and maintaining the system. The policy has consistently faced criticism from human rights organizations, the United Nations, and medical professionals for its treatment of detainees [8][9].
The Policy Continuum:
It is essential to understand that Thompson's allegations relate to implementation of a policy framework that:
- Was originally created by the Howard Coalition Government (2001)
- Was closed by the Rudd Labor Government (2008)
- Was reinstated by the Gillard Labor Government (August 2012)
- Was expanded with the PNG Solution by the Rudd Labor Government (July 2013)
- Was continued and expanded by the Abbott Coalition Government (from September 2013)
- Has been maintained by the Albanese Labor Government (2022-present)
Key context: This alleged conduct was not unique to the Coalition - it occurred within a policy framework that Labor had established months earlier and that both parties have since maintained in various forms.
PARTIALLY TRUE
5.0
out of 10
The claim is based on specific allegations made by a former migration agent who worked on Manus Island. However, the claim as stated ("Forced Manus Island staffers to lie") presents these allegations as established fact when they were denied by the government and never independently verified. The claim also omits critical context: (1) the PNG resettlement policy at issue was established by the Labor Government just months before the Coalition took office, and (2) offshore detention has been a bipartisan policy maintained by both parties for over two decades. While Thompson's allegations warrant serious consideration and raise legitimate ethical concerns about offshore detention practices, stating them as fact without acknowledging the government's denials, lack of independent verification, or the Labor origins of the policy framework represents a selective presentation of information.
Final Score
5.0
OUT OF 10
PARTIALLY TRUE
The claim is based on specific allegations made by a former migration agent who worked on Manus Island. However, the claim as stated ("Forced Manus Island staffers to lie") presents these allegations as established fact when they were denied by the government and never independently verified. The claim also omits critical context: (1) the PNG resettlement policy at issue was established by the Labor Government just months before the Coalition took office, and (2) offshore detention has been a bipartisan policy maintained by both parties for over two decades. While Thompson's allegations warrant serious consideration and raise legitimate ethical concerns about offshore detention practices, stating them as fact without acknowledging the government's denials, lack of independent verification, or the Labor origins of the policy framework represents a selective presentation of information.
📚 SOURCES & CITATIONS (9)
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1
I was told to lie: Manus Island staffer
In an interview with SBS's Dateline, a migration agent who worked on Manus Island claims she was told to lie to inmates and labelled the government’s processing system ‘fake’.
SBS News -
2
Incident at the Manus Island Detention Centre from 16 February to 18 February 2014 - Chapter 1
Chapter 1 Introduction and backgroundReferral of the inquiry 1.1 On 5 March 2014, the Senate referred the following matter to the Legal and Constitutional Affairs References Committee for inquiry and report by 26 June 2014:
Aph Gov -
3
Manus Regional Processing Centre
Wikipedia -
4
The sordid history of 12 years of offshore detention
Refugee Action Collective (Vic) | Free the refugees! Let them land, let them stay! -
5
Pacific Solution - Wikipedia
Wikipedia -
6
Special Broadcasting Service Act 1991
Federal Register of Legislation
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7
A comparison of Coalition and Labor government asylum policies in Australia
Parlinfo Aph Gov
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8
Lives at risk in PNG and Nauru as Labor persists with 11 failed years of costly cruelty
A damning, exclusive health report released today by the ASRC serves as further evidence the Australian Government’s offshore detention policy has been 11 years of costly cruelty which continues to put people’s lives and health at risk
Asylum Seeker Resource Centre -
9
Australia: Offshore and prolonged detention exposed
Ohchr
Rating Scale Methodology
1-3: FALSE
Factually incorrect or malicious fabrication.
4-6: PARTIAL
Some truth but context is missing or skewed.
7-9: MOSTLY TRUE
Minor technicalities or phrasing issues.
10: ACCURATE
Perfectly verified and contextually fair.
Methodology: Ratings are determined through cross-referencing official government records, independent fact-checking organizations, and primary source documents.