Refugees detained on Manus Island have regularly travelled into town to allegedly have sex with underage girls and buy drugs, Australian government officials were told last month.
Police and community leaders in Papua New Guinea informed Australian officials of 161 offences involving residents at the centre, dated over the last four years.
The alleged offences include assault, sexual assault, aggressive behaviour, unlawful entry, property damage and contraband, The Australian reports.
Several children have been born from the alleged sexual assaults, the paper claims.
Australian government officials have been informed of 161 offences committed by Manus Island refugees, including luring underage girls for sex (pictured: Immigration Minister Peter Dutton)
Refugees and asylum seekers protesting inside the Manus Island immigration detention centre, which closed 10 days ago
The alleged offences include assault, sexual assault, aggressive behaviour, unlawful entry, property damage and contraband, The Australian reports
The publication reports that some of the detained on Manus Island, who receive $100 a fortnight, allegedly used items such as cigarettes and chocolates bought at the centre to lure underage girls to engage in sexual acts.
On Friday, Immigration Minister Peter Dutton told Melbourne radio 3AW around 190 men from the Manus Island detention centre would travel into the nearby village of Lorengau by bus each day.
Mr Dutton also confirmed some of these men had threatened the wives and children of locals with sexual abuse and rape.
‘They’ll go down, purchase goods from the markets, they stay at the beach, go to the beach, they sell things down there,’ he said.
The men believe it is safer to stay at the old compound rather than risk being attacked by locals at the new facility
Refugees have been collecting water in bins at the detention centre after the Australian government shut off water and electricity supplies
‘Obviously, if they’re minded to buy drugs or sell drugs, then that’s an activity that some are involved in as well.’
The allegations follow claims of another refugee who reportedly punched a female doctor in the face before trying to strangle her with a plastic bag.
The 50-year-old refugee was arrested after he was accused of assaulting a senior doctor while he was being treated at a medical centre run by the Australian government in March.
The clinic is operated by the International Health and Medical Services, and paid for by the government to help refugees on Manus Island.
Protests have erupted across Australia since the detention centre was closed, opposing the government’s treatment of refugees
Protesters clash with police on the streets of Redfern in Sydney on Friday to oppose Australia’s offshore detention system
According to an incident report from the International Health and Medical Services, the man tried to strangle the doctor with a plastic bag and punched her in the face, leaving a gash on her forehead.
The Australian government cut off food, water, medical assistance and electricity to the refugees at the Manus Island centre 10 days ago.
There are still 580 men living at the detention centre who are protesting against the Australian and Papua New Guinea governments who want to move them to facilities near the township of Lorengau.
The men believe it is safer to stay at the old compound rather than risk being attacked by locals at the new facility.