settlement was not an admission of liability and the Commonwealth strongly refuted and denied the claims brought in the class action. August–October: 2 deaths; US takes first refugees On 7 August 2017 Iranian asylum seeker Hamed Shamshiripour was found dead in Lorengau. He was known to have a history of mental illness and refugee advocates had been trying to get help for him. In September 2017, the US accepted 22 refugees from Manus Island, its first intake under the resettlement deal, with others apparently taking the number up to 54. On 2 October 2017, 32-year-old Sri Lankan Tamil, Rajeev Rajendran, was found dead on the grounds of the Lorengau hospital, a suspected suicide. 31 October: closure of centre The centre was formally closed on 31 October 2017. However, nearly 600 men refused to leave the centre, citing fears for their safety amid hostile locals. A notice posted during the night by PNG Immigration authorities said "The Manus RPC will close at 5 pm today" (31 October), and that all power, water and food supply would cease. The PNG military took control of the area. Alternative accommodation had been provided at the East Lorengau Refugee Transit Centre and West Lorengau Haus. On 22 November 2017, Papua New Guinea Police moved in to try to get the more than 350 men remaining in the centre to leave. By 23 November 2017, all remaining men had been removed, more than 300 by force, to new accommodation. Detainee Behrouz Boochani wrote of what was happening and of his fear during the siege that followed the closure, as well as the articles he wrote for The Guardian at the time, amongst other things, in WhatsApp messages to translator and friend Omid Tofighian, published in full online. The messages were eventually published in the book No Friend But the Mountains. Twelve Australians of the Year protested the government's handling of the problem in November 2017. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees cited the centre as an "indictment of a policy meant to avoid Australia's international obligations." 2018 January: US resettlement On 23 January 2018, a second group of 54 refugees left for the US. May: Another death After a long history of mental illness, 52-year-old Rohingya, Salim, died on 22 May 2018. 2019 February: "Medevac" bill On 13 February 2019, a bill which became known as the "Medevac bill" was narrowly passed by the Australian