The Claim
“Admitted the information given about the Manus detention centre riots was drastically wrong.”
Original Sources Provided
✅ FACTUAL VERIFICATION
The claim is factually accurate. On February 22, 2014, Immigration Minister Scott Morrison issued an extraordinary statement late on a Saturday night admitting that much of the information he had provided to the Australian public since the February 17-18 Manus Island riots was incorrect [1].
The most significant correction was Morrison's admission that the majority of the violence "probably took place within the detention centre's fences, rather than outside its boundaries," contrary to his previous claims [1]. He stated: "I wish to confirm that, contrary to initial reports received, I have received further information that indicates that the majority of the riotous behaviour that occurred, and the response to that behaviour to restore order to the centre, took place within the perimeter of the centre" [1].
Additionally, Morrison had initially claimed that Reza Barati, the 23-year-old Iranian asylum seeker who died during the riots, had been outside the centre at the time of his death [1][2]. Morrison originally stated: "in the cases of the most serious ones, particularly in the case of the deceased person, their injuries occurred, and the shot being fired, was outside of the centre" [2]. In his correction, he acknowledged this was also wrong and conceded that the precise nature of events was now subject to police investigation and review [1].
The riots resulted in one death (Reza Barati) and injuries to more than 70 others [1]. Morrison also announced that Australian security staff would be investigated over their role in the riot, and that G4S (the security contractor) would be replaced by Transfield within a week when its contract expired [1].
Missing Context
The claim, while accurate, omits important contextual information about the origins of the offshore detention policy on Manus Island.
The Manus Island detention centre was originally reopened by the Labor government under Prime Minister Julia Gillard in November 2012 as part of the "Pacific Solution" [3][4]. The facility had previously been closed by the first Rudd government in 2008, but was reopened in 2012 as part of a "no advantage" policy [3][5].
Furthermore, the "PNG Solution" - which stipulated that asylum seekers arriving by boat would be sent to PNG for processing and resettlement, with no possibility of settlement in Australia - was announced by Kevin Rudd in July 2013, just five days before Reza Barati arrived in Australia [6][7]. Barati was subsequently sent to Manus Island by the Rudd government in August 2013 [6][8].
The riots occurred in February 2014, approximately six months after Barati's arrival and during the Abbott Coalition government's tenure. However, the infrastructure, policy framework, and the specific individuals involved were all established under the previous Labor administration.
The claim also does not mention that the Senate later conducted an inquiry into the incident, which found that "the events of 16 to 18 February 2014 at the Manus Island RPC were eminently foreseeable, and may have been prevented if transferees had been given a clear pathway for the assessment of their asylum claims" [9].
Source Credibility Assessment
The original source, The Age newspaper, is a mainstream Australian media outlet with a long publication history. According to Media Bias/Fact Check, The Age has a "left-center bias" and is rated as "highly factual" with a strong record of factual reporting [10]. Ground News aggregates bias assessments from multiple rating organizations and confirms The Age is rated as "Lean Left" with a "High" factuality score [11].
The article in question was written by Bianca Hall, then The Age's federal politics reporter, and published in both The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald (Fairfax Media publications) [1]. The report is consistent with coverage by ABC News, SBS, and The Guardian Australia on the same day, all confirming Morrison's admission [2][12][13].
The YouTube source (second provided source) appears to be incomplete/unavailable, but the primary source (The Age article) is credible and the information has been independently verified by multiple mainstream Australian news outlets.
Labor Comparison
Did Labor do something similar?
Search conducted: "Labor government Manus Island detention centre reopened 2012"
Finding: The offshore detention policy on Manus Island was entirely a Labor government creation. The facility was:
- Closed by the first Rudd government in 2008 [3][5]
- Reopened by the Gillard government in November 2012 as part of the Pacific Solution [3][4][5]
- Expanded under Kevin Rudd's "PNG Solution" in July 2013, which introduced the resettlement arrangement that sent asylum seekers to PNG indefinitely [6][7]
Reza Barati - the man who died in the February 2014 riots - was sent to Manus Island by the Rudd government in August 2013 [6][8]. The riot and subsequent death occurred approximately six months into the Coalition government, but the facility was already operational with residents placed there by Labor.
The Senate inquiry into the riots found the events were "eminently foreseeable" and could have been prevented with better processing pathways [9]. This suggests systemic issues with the offshore detention model that predated the Coalition's term.
Comparison: While Morrison's incorrect statements and subsequent admission occurred during the Coalition government, the policy infrastructure and the specific incident's context were inherited from Labor's offshore detention policies. Both major Australian political parties have supported offshore detention at various times - the original Pacific Solution (2001-2007) had bipartisan support from both Coalition and Labor [5].
Balanced Perspective
The claim accurately reflects that Scott Morrison admitted to providing incorrect information about the Manus Island riots. This admission was significant because:
The initial misinformation was serious: Claiming the violence occurred outside the centre when it actually happened inside implied that detainees were responsible for putting themselves in danger, when in fact the violence (and alleged security force involvement) occurred within the facility [1][2].
Morrison corrected the record: Within days of the incident, Morrison issued a late-night statement acknowledging his errors and announced investigations into security staff conduct [1].
Political criticism followed: Labor's immigration spokesman Richard Marles stated that "Morrison has absolutely no idea what has happened and what is happening at the Manus Island detention facility" [1].
Key context: This incident is not unique to the Coalition - it occurred within a detention facility reopened and populated under the previous Labor government. The Senate inquiry found systemic issues with the offshore processing model that both major parties have supported at different times [9]. The riots and their tragic outcome (one death, 70+ injuries) exposed the inherent dangers of offshore detention, but this policy approach was established by Labor and continued by the Coalition, rather than being a Coalition innovation.
Morrison's incorrect statements were made in the immediate aftermath of a chaotic and violent incident, and while the corrections were necessary, the broader policy context - including Labor's role in establishing the offshore detention infrastructure - is essential for understanding the full picture.
TRUE
8.0
out of 10
The claim is factually accurate. Scott Morrison did admit that the information he provided about the Manus Island detention centre riots was wrong, specifically correcting his earlier statements that the violence occurred outside the facility when it actually occurred inside, and that the deceased asylum seeker was outside when he was actually inside. These admissions were made in an official statement on February 22, 2014, and were reported by multiple credible news outlets including The Age, SMH, ABC News, and SBS [1][2][12][13].
Final Score
8.0
OUT OF 10
TRUE
The claim is factually accurate. Scott Morrison did admit that the information he provided about the Manus Island detention centre riots was wrong, specifically correcting his earlier statements that the violence occurred outside the facility when it actually occurred inside, and that the deceased asylum seeker was outside when he was actually inside. These admissions were made in an official statement on February 22, 2014, and were reported by multiple credible news outlets including The Age, SMH, ABC News, and SBS [1][2][12][13].
📚 SOURCES & CITATIONS (13)
-
1
smh.com.au
Australian security staff will be investigated over their role in the Manus Island detention centre riot that left one man dead and scores injured, Immigration Minister Scott Morrison has conceded.
The Sydney Morning Herald -
2
abc.net.au
Follow the latest headlines from ABC News, Australia's most trusted media source, with live events, audio and on-demand video from the national broadcaster.
Abc Net -
3
en.wikipedia.org
Wikipedia -
4
rac-vic.org
Refugee Action Collective (Vic) | Free the refugees! Let them land, let them stay! -
5
omeka.cloud.unimelb.edu.au
a site to record the research collections and a 3d recreation. of the Manus Island detention facility.
Manus Island -
6
en.wikipedia.org
Wikipedia
-
7PDF
PNG solution
Refugeeaction Org • PDF Document -
8PDF
Manus attacks fact sheet
Refugeeaction Org • PDF Document -
9
socialjustice.catholic.org.au
Today we remember twenty three year old asylum seeker Reza Barati who was killed in riots at the Regional Processing Centre (RPC) on Manus Island. A Senate Committee inquiry later… Read More »2014: Murder of Iranian asylum seeker Reza Barati in offshore immigration detention on Manus Island
Office For Justice, Ecology and Peace -
10
mediabiasfactcheck.com
LEFT-CENTER BIAS These media sources have a slight to moderate liberal bias. They often publish factual information that utilizes loaded words (wording
Media Bias/Fact Check -
11
ground.news
Breaking News Headlines Today | Ground News
Ground -
12
sbs.com.au
There are calls for the immigration minister's head after his admission that information he spread following deadly riots on Manus Island may have been wrong.
SBS News -
13
theguardian.com
Immigration minister declines to say who provided incorrect information about the Manus Island violence
the Guardian
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.