Manus Detention Center

The asylum detainee who shot a film in secret

Behrouz Boochani is messaging me on WhatsApp from Australia's offshore detention facility in Manus Island, Papua New Guinea (PNG), where he has been since 2013 after fleeing his home country of Iran.

The Kurdish journalist has just finished his biggest project yet - a full-length feature film, shot using his iPhone and smuggled out over the internet in small clips, beneath the radar of his guards.

Refugee court challenge to be streamed live on Manus Island

Lawyers representing the asylum seekers say it is the first time Australian court proceedings will be steamed live overseas.

They say the case, to begin in May and run for six or seven months, will be the largest and most forensic public examination of events and conditions at the Manus Island detention centre.

In the ruling, handed down on Friday, Justice Michael McDonald found that it was appropriate to make the live streaming order to ensure that justice was done in the proceeding.

Refugees to be left in PNG when Manus closes

Mr Dutton's comments come in the wake of Prime Minister Turnbull confirming that the centre will close before the end of the year.

Speaking to Sky News, Mr Dutton said the government had been clear about the future of legitimate refugees from the start.

'Given that PNG is a signitory to the convention and to the protocols, they have responsibility to settle those people,' Mr Dutton said.