At Australian Refugee Camp, a Mix of Hope and Doubts Over U.S. Plans
- 6 years ago
At Australian Refugee Camp, a Mix of Hope and Doubts Over U.S. Plans
12, 2017
SYDNEY, Australia — More than 60 asylum seekers in Australia’s offshore detention program on Manus Island have been called for additional meetings
with the American authorities to discuss potential resettlement in the United States, according to several refugees involved in the process.
"There’s no time to waste — these refugees have acute mental health problems made worse by years of uncertainty and insecurity on Manus and Nauru." A copy of the notification provided to Mr. Mohamed and other refugees says
that they will travel to Port Moresby, the capital of Papua New Guinea, a short flight from Manus, on Wednesday for meetings "with respect to the US Resettlement process." It does not say whether anyone will be accepted or when decisions will be made.
Human rights advocates said they believed the travel ban on citizens of certain countries did not apply to existing arrangements — like one the Obama administration made in late 2016 to take some refugees from Manus
and a second offshore detention camp in Nauru — and they called for greater transparency in the process.
Elaine Pearson said that If the U.S. isn’t going to accept people from certain countries, they should make
that crystal clear now so Australia can make alternative arrangements,
" she said, "but we don’t know any more about the process other than what the men are telling us." "What we do know is that, for those
refugees who have been resettled in the U.S., it’s been life-changing," she added. that We’ve tried to get information at times,
American officials have said repeatedly that they expect more refugees on Manus and Nauru to be resettled in the United States in the coming months,
but they did not respond to questions on Tuesday seeking additional details.
12, 2017
SYDNEY, Australia — More than 60 asylum seekers in Australia’s offshore detention program on Manus Island have been called for additional meetings
with the American authorities to discuss potential resettlement in the United States, according to several refugees involved in the process.
"There’s no time to waste — these refugees have acute mental health problems made worse by years of uncertainty and insecurity on Manus and Nauru." A copy of the notification provided to Mr. Mohamed and other refugees says
that they will travel to Port Moresby, the capital of Papua New Guinea, a short flight from Manus, on Wednesday for meetings "with respect to the US Resettlement process." It does not say whether anyone will be accepted or when decisions will be made.
Human rights advocates said they believed the travel ban on citizens of certain countries did not apply to existing arrangements — like one the Obama administration made in late 2016 to take some refugees from Manus
and a second offshore detention camp in Nauru — and they called for greater transparency in the process.
Elaine Pearson said that If the U.S. isn’t going to accept people from certain countries, they should make
that crystal clear now so Australia can make alternative arrangements,
" she said, "but we don’t know any more about the process other than what the men are telling us." "What we do know is that, for those
refugees who have been resettled in the U.S., it’s been life-changing," she added. that We’ve tried to get information at times,
American officials have said repeatedly that they expect more refugees on Manus and Nauru to be resettled in the United States in the coming months,
but they did not respond to questions on Tuesday seeking additional details.