Turnbull to snub Ardern refugee offer
AUSTRALIAN Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull is set to reject a renewed offer from Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern to take 150 refugees from Manus Island.
Turnbull and Ardern were due to meet for the first time in Sydney today and, ahead of the meeting, Ardern had flagged that she would raise the situation on Manus Island and restate the offer to take 150 refugees, which former prime minister John Key first extended to former prime minister Julia Gillard back in 2013.
United Nations’ human rights chief Zeid Ra’ad al-Hussein has described the situation on Manus Island as an "unfolding humanitarian emergency", criticising the Turnbull government and expressing "serious concerns" over the welfare, safety and wellbeing of asylum seekers on the island.
But Australian government sources confirmed to Fairfax Media that while Turnbull regarded the Kiwi offer as generous, there were still fears that sending some refugees to New Zealand could be a "pull" factor that would be used by people smugglers to tempt wouldbe asylum seekers into attempting to come to Australia by boat.
They characterised Australia’s position as one of "no change", pointing out the Gillard, Rudd and Abbott governments had also declined to take up the NZ offer.
Turnbull and Ardern will discuss other issues – including the 12-member Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade deal – in their meeting ahead of flying out to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation leaders’ meeting in Vietnam and the East Asia Summit in the Philippines.