Aussies reject Kiwi offer to take in 150 asylum-seekers

SYDNEY: Australia turned down yesterday a New Zealand offer to take 150 asylum-seekers held in an Australian-run detention centre in Papua New Guinea (PNG) , where United Nations officials have warned a humanitarian emergency is unfolding.

About 600 men have barricaded themselves inside the camp on remote Manus island, defying efforts by Australia and PNG to shut it. Food, running water and medical services were cut off by Australia five days ago.

Canberra wants the men moved to a transit centre elsewhere on the island at the start of a process the asylum-seekers fear will result in them being resettled in PNG or another developing nation. The men also fear violent reprisals from the local community.

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said on Friday her country was willing to take 150 asylum-seekers from among those held on Manus island and another camp on the tiny Pacific nation of Nauru.

Her Australian counterpart, Malcolm Turnbull, however, said Canberra preferred to work through an existing refugee swap deal he negotiated with former United States president Barack Obama last year.

Under that deal, up to 1,250 asylum-seekers could be sent to the US and Australia would in turn accept refugees from Central America.

“We want to pursue those, conclude those arrangements, and then in the wake of that obviously we can consider other ones,” Turnbull told Ardern here.

Relocating the men on Manus island is designed as a temporary measure, allowing the US time to vet the asylum-seekers.

Ardern acknowledged the neighbours faced different immigration problems but said the offer remained open. Reuters