Exclusive: Australia to accept first Central American refugees under U.S. deal

SYDNEY (Reuters) – Australia will accept several dozen Central American refugees within the next few months, two sources familiar with the process told Reuters, the first transfers under a controversial refugee swap arrangement agreed with the United States.

Canberra pledged to take an unspecified number of Central American refugees under a deal struck with former U.S. President Barack Obama late last year.

In exchange, Washington said it would accept up to 1,250 asylum seekers held in Australian immigration centres in the Pacific Island nations of Papua New Guinea (PNG) and Nauru that Australia wants to close.

A group of approximately 30 refugees from El Salvador currently being held in Costa Rica will move to Australia in the next couple of months, the two sources said, with a second group of a similar size to follow shortly afterwards.

“The group have been vetted and will likely move in the (northern hemisphere) fall,” said one source, who was not authorised to speak to media about the arrangements.

A spokesman for Australian Immigration Minister Peter Dutton declined to comment.

A U.S. State Department spokeswoman said although the United States has reached a 50,000 cap on refugee admissions this fiscal year, the U.S. government continues to process refugee applications from Nauru and Manus.

“United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has not yet concluded its adjudications of any refugees being considered for resettlement out of Australian facilities in Nauru and Manus islands,” the spokeswoman said. “USCIS does not make public the exact schedules of their interview teams, but they are planning return trips to the islands.”

The transfer of the Salvadoran refugees to Australia will focus attention on U.S. steps to uphold its end of the agreement, described by President Donald Trump as a “dumb deal” for America.

None of the refugees on PNG’s Manus Island or Nauru – mostly men from the Middle East and South Asia – have been approved to move to the United States yet. Earlier this month, U.S. officials halted screening interviews after the United States reached its annual refugee intake cap…

Source: Exclusive: Australia to accept first Central American refugees under U.S. deal – sources