Refugees on Nauru, Manus get US date

AUSTRALIA: Close to 200 refugees on Manus Island and Nauru have been accepted for resettlement in the United States in a significant progression of the deal struck by Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and former US President Barack Obama.

Fairfax understands about 130 people on Nauru, including families, and about 60 men on Manus Island, have received final approval to go to the US. Refugee advocates expect the refugees to fly out in January.

They would be the first refugees to leave Manus Island and Nauru for the US since an initial group of 54 flew out in late September.

Refugee Action Coalition spokesman Ian Rintoul, who maintains direct contact with people on both islands, said it was ‘‘pretty clear there’ll be about 130 on Nauru’’ who will be accepted in this round. However, they would need to undergo a second round of medical checks because the previous ones had expired, he said.

It is understood about 60 men on Manus Island have also been accepted for resettlement. According to Natasha Blucher from the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre, 44 men flew from Manus Island to the Papua New Guinean capital Port Moresby on Monday to receive their approval letters.

‘‘Everybody’s really excited and happy about it,’’ Blucher said. ‘‘The same issue remains – a lot of people are happy about it if they’re going [but] there’s still a huge number of people who have no outcome and are struggling.’’

A spokeswoman for Immigration Minister Peter Dutton would not comment on the numbers but confirmed US officials were on the islands.

Last week Dutton indicated developments were under way but played down suggestions that up to 300 refugees could leave Manus and Nauru by Christmas.

‘‘I don’t think we will see numbers of that order, but obviously there have been some hand downs in Nauru, some hand downs in PNG as well, both positives and negatives,’’ he said.

‘‘I am hoping there can be an uplift as soon as possible but that is an issue for the US. I don’t think you will see numbers quite as high as that, but there will be - on top of the 54 that have already departed - a number who will go. And interviews continue, the background checks and all of that process that the US is involved in continues.

‘‘There has been no pushback from the US at all in relation to the screening process. So let’s wait and see what happens.’’

The Turnbull government resists public commentary on the resettlement arrangement due to sensitivities around it in the US, where President Donald Trump reluctantly agreed to honour what he dubbed a ‘‘dumb deal’’.

The US notionally agreed to take 1250 refugees from Manus Island and Nauru, subject to security vetting, but the timetable is in the hands of US authorities and it could take another 12 months to fill the quota.

It is estimated about 1600 refugees remain across both countries, meaning some would miss out even if the US filled the quota.

The refugees in PNG are all single men while families including men, women and children are in Nauru. – Fairfax