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| New Zealand seeks deal with Australia to resettle Manus and Nauru refugees | New Zealand seeks deal with Australia to resettle Manus and Nauru refugees |
| (2 months later) | |
| Jacinda Ardern seeks cooperation with Australian government after Peter Dutton warns of diplomatic consequences of striking unilateral deal with PNG | |
| Paul Karp in Canberra and | |
| Eleanor Ainge Roy in Dunedin | |
| Fri 17 Nov 2017 02.48 GMT | |
| First published on Thu 16 Nov 2017 22.41 GMT | |
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| New Zealand says it will only take refugees from the offshore detention centre on Manus Island with the cooperation of the Australian government. | New Zealand says it will only take refugees from the offshore detention centre on Manus Island with the cooperation of the Australian government. |
| A statement from the office of the prime minister Jacinda Ardern, indicating a shift in her position, was issued on Friday after the Australian immigration minister, Peter Dutton, said a move to resettle the refugees could hurt the countries’ diplomatic relations. | A statement from the office of the prime minister Jacinda Ardern, indicating a shift in her position, was issued on Friday after the Australian immigration minister, Peter Dutton, said a move to resettle the refugees could hurt the countries’ diplomatic relations. |
| “New Zealand’s relationship with Australia is strong. The offer to take 150 refugees from Manus Island and Nauru remains on the table, but clearly it’s up to Australia to take up that offer,” Ardern’s spokesperson said. | “New Zealand’s relationship with Australia is strong. The offer to take 150 refugees from Manus Island and Nauru remains on the table, but clearly it’s up to Australia to take up that offer,” Ardern’s spokesperson said. |
| “As the prime minister has said, Australia holds all the critical information on the refugees in Manus Island so any take-up of refugees has to be organised with Australia’s assistance. The Papua New Guinea government also said this week that it was focused on working with Australia and that it would not be dealing directly with New Zealand.” | “As the prime minister has said, Australia holds all the critical information on the refugees in Manus Island so any take-up of refugees has to be organised with Australia’s assistance. The Papua New Guinea government also said this week that it was focused on working with Australia and that it would not be dealing directly with New Zealand.” |
| The comments – a fresh blow to the refugees – come after Dutton, accepted that New Zealand and Papua New Guinea could do a bilateral deal to resettle people from the regional processing centre but warned that any such deal would have consequences for the countries’ diplomatic relationship with Australia. | The comments – a fresh blow to the refugees – come after Dutton, accepted that New Zealand and Papua New Guinea could do a bilateral deal to resettle people from the regional processing centre but warned that any such deal would have consequences for the countries’ diplomatic relationship with Australia. |
| New Zealand has reiterated its offer to take 150 refugees from Australia’s offshore detention centres during a two week-long standoff as people refuse to leave the now-closed Manus Island centre. | New Zealand has reiterated its offer to take 150 refugees from Australia’s offshore detention centres during a two week-long standoff as people refuse to leave the now-closed Manus Island centre. |
| Labor urged the Coalition government to consider the offer but Malcolm Turnbull has said it would not do so until the US resettlement deal is complete. On Friday, he told Melbourne radio 3AW “it’s a possibility that could happen in the future but it is not ... a near-term prospect at all”. | Labor urged the Coalition government to consider the offer but Malcolm Turnbull has said it would not do so until the US resettlement deal is complete. On Friday, he told Melbourne radio 3AW “it’s a possibility that could happen in the future but it is not ... a near-term prospect at all”. |
| Asked at a press conference in Adelaide about the possibility the refugees could settle in New Zealand, the Labor leader Bill Shorten said: “If New Zealand wants to take the people from Manus Island, Australia shouldn’t get in the way. | Asked at a press conference in Adelaide about the possibility the refugees could settle in New Zealand, the Labor leader Bill Shorten said: “If New Zealand wants to take the people from Manus Island, Australia shouldn’t get in the way. |
| “They should be allowed to go. It’s a solution. I don’t know why Australia wants to get in the way.” | “They should be allowed to go. It’s a solution. I don’t know why Australia wants to get in the way.” |
| On Thursday Dutton was asked about a possible bilateral deal between New Zealand and Papua New Guinea and told Sky News: “That’s an issue between those two countries. Any sovereign state can enter into bilateral arrangements. | On Thursday Dutton was asked about a possible bilateral deal between New Zealand and Papua New Guinea and told Sky News: “That’s an issue between those two countries. Any sovereign state can enter into bilateral arrangements. |
| “They would have to think about other equities within the respective relationships,” he said. “They would have to think about their relationship with Australia, or what impact that would have.” | “They would have to think about other equities within the respective relationships,” he said. “They would have to think about their relationship with Australia, or what impact that would have.” |
| Shorten said he did not think such a deal would strain relations between the countries. | Shorten said he did not think such a deal would strain relations between the countries. |
| Despite conceding Australia could not stop such a bilateral deal, Dutton argued it would be counter-productive because “people smugglers are watching eagerly at the moment” and any pathway to come to Australia via Papua New Guinea and New Zealand may “reopen” the movement of people seeking asylum in Australia. | Despite conceding Australia could not stop such a bilateral deal, Dutton argued it would be counter-productive because “people smugglers are watching eagerly at the moment” and any pathway to come to Australia via Papua New Guinea and New Zealand may “reopen” the movement of people seeking asylum in Australia. |
| “I’m not going to allow that to happen,” he said. | “I’m not going to allow that to happen,” he said. |
| “If any boats arrive tomorrow, those people aren’t going to Auckland, they’re going to the processing centre on Nauru.” | “If any boats arrive tomorrow, those people aren’t going to Auckland, they’re going to the processing centre on Nauru.” |
| Dutton labelled the New Zealand government’s offer of $3m for services for refugees on Manus Island and Nauru a “waste of money” that could be spent elsewhere, such as on displaced people in Indonesia. | Dutton labelled the New Zealand government’s offer of $3m for services for refugees on Manus Island and Nauru a “waste of money” that could be spent elsewhere, such as on displaced people in Indonesia. |
| Ardern’s spokesperson said in Friday’s statement: “If the offer is accepted, all refugees will undergo comprehensive screening and assessment processes that includes credibility and risk assessments and security checks. | Ardern’s spokesperson said in Friday’s statement: “If the offer is accepted, all refugees will undergo comprehensive screening and assessment processes that includes credibility and risk assessments and security checks. |
| “Refugees who do not meet New Zealand’s relevant immigration policies, security and biometric checks and risk and health assessment are declined.” | “Refugees who do not meet New Zealand’s relevant immigration policies, security and biometric checks and risk and health assessment are declined.” |
| The UN human rights committee has urged Australia to immediately close its offshore detention centres and bring the refugees and asylum seekers to Australia or another safe country. | The UN human rights committee has urged Australia to immediately close its offshore detention centres and bring the refugees and asylum seekers to Australia or another safe country. |
| Hundreds of detainees on Manus Island have remained in the now closed facility without food, water or medical supplies for almost a fortnight. | Hundreds of detainees on Manus Island have remained in the now closed facility without food, water or medical supplies for almost a fortnight. |
| Australian immigration and asylum | |
| Peter Dutton | |
| New Zealand | |
| Papua New Guinea | |
| Asia Pacific | |
| news | |
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