Refugees on Nauru ask New Zealand to resettle them
Refugees on Nauru have written a letter to New Zealand’s Prime Minister John Key and Immigration Minister Michael Woodhouse asking to be resettled in New Zealand.
Mr Key and former Prime Minister Julia Gillard struck a deal in 2013 for New Zealand to annually resettle 150 refugees who have arrived in Australia by boat.
Mr Key said the deal was still in place in October 2015, stating “Australia hasn’t exercised their right there … but that’s always an option that’s available.”
Below is the letter from refugees on Nauru:
For further information on the resettlement deal between Australia and New Zealand read Peter Mares’ piece for Inside Story.
UPDATE — Monday 11 January
Guardian Australia reported on Monday that in response to the letter, New Zealand’s Immigration Minister Michael Woodhouse said: “It is for Australia to take up the offer to utilise the up to 150 places and to date they have not done so. As such, the places are reallocated to the annual quota and most recently the places were given to Syrian refugees.”
