SYDNEY, April 27 (Reuters) - The Australian government is seeking guidance from Papua New Guinea on its response to a Supreme Court ruling that Australia's practice of detaining asylum seekers on PNG's northern Manus Island is illegal, Immigration Minister Peter Dutton said on Wednesday.
However, Dutton said the 800 men detained on Manus would not be resettled in Australia under any circumstances, maintaining Australia's hardline immigration policies that have been criticised by the United Nations and human rights agencies for harsh conditions.
Papua New Guinea's Supreme Court on Tuesday ruled that the detentions breached the country's constitution and must be stopped.
"Before people get ahead of themselves let's see what the PNG government has to say, what their response will be and how it is they propose to deal with the situation," Dutton told Australian Broadcasting Copr radio on Wednesday.
Under Australia's controversial immigration laws, anyone intercepted while trying to reach the country by boat is sent for processing to camps in Nauru and Manus Island. They are never eligible to be resettled in Australia and Dutton said that stance would not change.
Dutton said the Manus detainees could return home or go to another country willing to accept them.