Asylum Seekers

More refugees leave Nauru for US

Refugee activist Ian Rintoul said almost all who flew out yesterday for Los Angeles are single Afghan, Pakistani or Rohingya men.

A Sri Lankan family of four and a Bangladeshi were also among the group.

This brings to 84 the number of refugees who've flown to the US since resettlement began in September.

Mr Rintoul said up to 100 refugees have not had their first interview with US officials who are expected to return to Nauru next week.

He said the big question was whether any of the acceptances will include Iranian or Somali refugees.

Asylum hopes raised as US officials return to Nauru

Under an agreement struck with the Obama administration, the US agreed to take 1250 asylum-seekers from Australia’s offshore processing centres on Nauru and Manus Island, subject to the Trump administration’s “extreme vetting”. Of those 1250, 54 have been resettled in the US.

Immigration Minister Peter Dutton’s office would not comment on how many refugees were likely to be part of the next intake, or when their resettlement would take place, saying the issue was a “matter for the US”.

Resettlement doubt inflames Manus tension

     

About 60 asylum seekers and guards came to blows in the running battle, as the governments of PNG and Australia met in Port Moresby to discuss refugee resettlement.

Turnbull insists US deal to resettle refugees from Nauru and Manus will survive Trump's inauguration

The Sydney Morning Herald reports Mr. Turnbull said in Sydney on Sunday he did not believe that Donald Trump, who campaigned on dramatic immigration restrictions, would torpedo the arrangement after he is inaugurated on January 20.

"It's a very good arrangement and we are confident that it will continue through the change in administration," he said.

Call for Australians to re-assess attitude to refugees

Anna Neistat recently visited Nauru and conducted research into the plight of the people being held in the Australian-run camps on the island.

Amnesty concluded that Australia was effectively torturing the asylum seekers and refugees as a deterrent to others considering trying to reach Australia by boat.

Canberra had claimed it was necessary to stop the boats and save lives, but Ms Neistat said it was high time Australians questioned this.

Nauru refugees don't want to go to US - journalist

Earlier this month, Australia and the US reached a resettlement deal for refugees who are being held in offshore prisons after having tried to reach Australia by boat.

Few journalists have had access to Nauru since the re-establishment of Australia's detention camps there but Sky News journalist Laura Jayes and a cameraman were able to get on the island earlier this month.

She says she was stunned to hear that refugees did not want to take the American deal, with one Muslim saying he did not want to go to President-elect Donald Trump's America.

Peter Dutton says new refugee ban will stop country hopping

On Sunday, the Turnbull government announced it would permanently ban asylum seekers who attempt to reach Australia by boat from ever entering the country, even if they are genuine refugees and seek to come as tourists or on business decades later.

Legislation will be introduced to Parliament in November, applying to all adults detained on Manus and Nauru and backdated to July 2013. 

Australian Government-dominated committee finds lifetime visa ban pointless and cruel

Scrutiny of the lifetime visa ban by the Liberal-majority Human Rights Committee found there was no reason why refugees and asylum seekers held in immigration detention on Nauru and Manus Island should be banned from visiting Australia for business or tourism in the future.

Chaired by Liberal MP Ian Goodenough, the committee found the ban could be unnecessary because there is no suggestion that any detainee being held presents a danger to Australia or that any future visit could have any adverse effect on national security.

Australian Senate considers asylum abuse claims

Australia has run the controversial camps on Manus Island in Papua New Guinea and on Nauru for the past three years, amid heavily criticism from human rights groups, NGOs, medical organisations and former staff.

Key denies deal over Australian asylum-seekers

Speculation about such a deal has been prompted by the Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull's announcement that asylum-seekers who arrive by boat will be prevented by law from ever being let into the country.

The denial comes as a United Nations investigator arrives in Australia today for an 18-day visit to immigration detention centres.

The proposed Australian law would cover asylum-seekers on Manus Island and Nauru.