Australia accepts N.Zealand offer to take 450 refugees after long delay

Australia accepted on Thursday a long-
standing New Zealand offer to take hundreds of refugees detained for years in
remote camps under Canberra’s “Pacific solution” immigration policy.

The deal, which was originally tabled in 2013, will involve New Zealand
welcoming 150 refugees annually for three years after they have been screened
by the UN refugee agency (UNHCR).

“We are pleased to be able to provide resettlement outcomes for refugees
who would otherwise have continued to face uncertain futures,” New Zealand
Immigration Minister Kris Faafoi said.

In a joint statement with Australia’s Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews,
Faafoi said the agreement reflected New Zealand’s “long and proud history of
refugee resettlement”.

Wellington first made the offer at a time when Australia was looking to
deter record numbers of asylum seekers arriving by boat.

Canberra sent them to detention camps in the Pacific nations of Nauru and
Papua New Guinea, vowing no asylum seeker who arrived by boat would ever be
allowed to permanently settle in Australia.

At the time, it rejected Wellington’s offer over fears the refugees would
eventually wind up in Australia because New Zealanders share mutual rights to
residency with their neighbour. Andrews said Thursday’s agreement should not
be interpreted as a softening of Canberra’s stance on people who arrive by
boat.

“Australia remains firm — illegal maritime arrivals will not settle here
permanently. Anyone who attempts to breach our borders will be turned back or
sent to Nauru,” she said.

The UNHCR welcomed the deal, saying prolonged uncertainty had “taken an
enormous toll” on refugees caught up in Australia’s offshore processing
system.

It said 112 refugees were still on Nauru and about 1,100 who had been held
in the Pacific camps were now in Australia on temporary visas

It said the 450 spots offered by New Zealand would not cover them all.

“We nonetheless hope it will bring about new impetus towards this goal so
that compassionate and lasting answers can be found including in Australia
for all who have been subject to Australia’s offshore processing policies,”
the rights body said.

AFP