Australia in talks with other countries for refugee resettlement
Australia has confirmed it has been in talks with other countries, including the Philippines, to have the refugees arriving in Australia by sea resettled to those countries.
Australian Immigration Minister Peter Dutton said in a briefing with reporters, “We have had bilateral discussions with other countries, including the Philippines, at an official level and ministerial level over a number of months.”
Newspaper The Daily Telegraph said Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop have reached a deal on the relocation of refugees with her Filipino counterpart in New York. It said the USD 109-million deal awaits sign-off by Filipino President Benigno Aquino.
A policy of refusal
Bishop’s office would not confirm the report on the deal with the Philippines, but a spokeswoman said the two governments had “long cooperated on irregular migration, people-smuggling and human trafficking.”
Under Australia’s controversial plans for the relocation of asylum-seekers, the government refuses to grant entry to the refugees who arrive by sea, even if their asylum seeking application is found to be genuine.
The refugees are instead sent to camps on the Pacific island countries of Nauru and Papua New Guinea, despite much criticism by rights groups and international organizations over the treatment of the refugees.
Reports show that, besides the Philippines, Canberra has been seeking a new destination for its relocation program in Cambodia. The Australian government, however, has refused to publicly state what countries other than the Philippines it is in talks with.
“I am not going to publicly comment in relation to where some of the negotiations are at. I think we’re best to discuss those issues in private with those partners,” said Dutton, the Australian immigration minister.
“We will continue the negotiations [with the Philippines] because there is good faith on both sides,” he said, adding, “If we can strike an agreement that is in the best interests of our country and from the Philippines’ perspective, their country, we will arrive at that point.”
Rights groups have criticized Australia for expanding its controversial resettlement program.
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