Nauru refugees call for NZ resettlement

A group of asylum seekers in Nauru have written a letter to the New Zealand government asking for it to take them in.

In this file photo men shave, brush their teeth and prepare for the day at a refugee camp on the Island of Nauru.

In this file photo men shave, brush their teeth and prepare for the day at a refugee camp on the Island of Nauru. Source: AP

As asylum seekers continue to leave Nauru for the United States, one group has asked New Zealand's government to take them in.

In a letter to the New Zealand Prime Minister's office, 27 of the refugees have sworn they won't use New Zealand as a backdoor to get into Australia if accepted.

The Turnbull government has so far declined New Zealand's standing offer to take in 150 of the detainees because of fears it would be used as a propaganda tool by people smugglers.

The letter, published by , outlines a series of complaints about the conditions faced by the asylum seekers and makes a plea to Kiwi officials.

"Australia has tortured and killed our beloved friends and families for all these years, therefore how could we want to live in Australia?" it reads.

The Australian government has previously said it wants to prioritise an agreement with the US over the New Zealand offer.

But while the US has agreed to take in up to 1250 people from detention centres, its travel ban means refugees from five Muslim-majority countries - who make up a large chunk of those originally headed for Australia - may be rejected.

Comment has been requested from New Zealand's immigration minister.

More than 300 people have already been transferred to the US, but another 1500 remain in offshore detention on Manus Island and Nauru.

Thousands of people marched in rallies across Australia over the weekend to mark the fifth anniversary of offshore processing, which began under the Rudd government.


Share
Published 23 July 2018 2:38pm
Updated 23 July 2018 3:59pm


Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News daily and direct to your Inbox

Sign up now for the latest news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Download our apps
SBS News
SBS Audio
SBS On Demand

Listen to our podcasts
An overview of the day's top stories from SBS News
Interviews and feature reports from SBS News
Your daily ten minute finance and business news wrap with SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves.
A daily five minute news wrap for English learners and people with disability
Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS
SBS World News

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service
Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world