Australia’s asylum-seeker resettlement deal in limbo after Trump’s win

World Today

Officials from the United States are due to arrive in Australia this week to begin the process of resettling asylum seekers in the U.S. who are currently held in offshore detention centers.

But the future of the deal that was struck with the Obama administration now seems uncertain, because it won’t actually take place until Donald Trump officially takes office.

CCTV’s Greg Navarro has this report.

Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull presented his solution to a growing problem, what to do with the hundreds of refugees who tried to enter the country illegally.

The one-off deal involves the resettlement of roughly 1,200 people being held in offshore detention on the Papua New Guinea island of Nauru.

Turnbull’s solution was in response to a Papua New Guinea high court ruling earlier this year, which ordered the resettlement of hundreds of refugees being held on Nauru.

Human rights groups and the UN have raised concerns about the conditions and treatment of refugees.

Under Australia’s hard-line border protection policy, anyone intercepted trying to reach the country by boat is sent to offshore detention centers.

Refugee advocates said the latest resettlement plan doesn’t address the asylum seekers being held in detention on Manus Island, and simply shifts the focus in an ongoing problem.

Last month, the Turnbull government introduced a bill to permanently ban anyone seeking asylum illegally, from ever settling in Australia. It said the move is designed to further discourage people smugglers.

The bill currently before parliament doesn’t appear to have the labor party’s support.

The resettlement of refugees in the US won’t actually take place until Donald Trump assumes office. Trump has previously called for a complete shutdown of Muslims entering the country.

For now Australia said it’s beefing up patrols at sea, in case people smugglers seek to exploit the latest resettlement plan to further their own trade.