Refugees rejected by Australia to be resettled in Cambodia under bilateral agreement; protest, reax

Описание: (26 Sep 2014) About 100 people, including Buddhist monks, demonstrated outside Australia's embassy in Cambodia on Friday against a deal to have asylum-seekers who were turned away by Australia resettle in the impoverished southeast Asian country.
Under the agreement, Australia will pay Cambodia 40 (m) million Australian dollars (35 (m) million US dollars) over four years, plus carry the costs of resettlement.
It is the latest step in Australia's evolving policy of deterring asylum-seekers from attempting to reach its shores by boat.
The government has vowed that no boat arrivals will ever be resettled in Australia.
Australian Immigration Minister Scott Morrison is scheduled to sign the deal with Cambodian Interior Minister Sar Kheng in Phnom Penh to resettle an unspecified number of refugees currently held at an Australian-run detention camp on the tiny Pacific island nation of Nauru.
Critics, including Human Rights Watch, charge that Cambodia's poor human rights record puts any resettled asylum-seekers at risk and that the poverty-stricken country is ill-equipped to handle them.
Australia pays Nauru to house asylum seekers and has a similar deal with Papua New Guinea.
Human rights groups have criticised living conditions at the camps.


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