Refugee deal: US will still vet Nauru detainees, says Bishop after reported delays

Julie Bishop has denied reports the US delayed interviews with detainees on Nauru, following President Donald Trump's comments about "extreme vetting".

A file image of accommodation at the Nauru detention centre

A file image of accommodation at the Nauru detention centre. Source: Department of Immigration

Foreign Minister Julie Bishop says there's no pause in US interviews with detainees on Nauru, amid uncertainty over whether America will honour a refugee settlement deal.

Detainees applying to settle in America under the deal had their planned second-round interview dates with US officials postponed indefinitely, Reuters reported on Friday.

But Ms Bishop told reporters in while on the election trail in WA on Saturday that she understood interviewing and vetting was still taking place.

"The agreement is to be honoured by the Trump administration (so) I'm pleased this agreement will continue," she told the ABC.
Under the settlement deal, the US will take refugees currently held on Manus Island and Nauru in return for Australia accepting refugees from Central America.

US President Donald Trump has said the refugees would be subject to "extreme vetting", and has decribed it as a "dumb deal".

Separately, Mr Trump was under increasing pressure after a Seattle federal judge on Friday put a nationwide block on US President Donald Trump's week-old executive order that had temporarily barred refugees and nationals from seven countries from entering the US.

Immigration Minister Peter Dutton earlier said authorities were working to get refugees off Manus Island and Nauru as quickly as possible but it was a "difficult juggling act".

"We are keen to get people off there as quickly as possible ... we've got unfinished business," he told 2GB radio on Friday.

"There's a long way to go before we can get people off."

Australian officials have been working with US counterparts to look at the individual cases of those held in immigration detention, Mr Dutton said.

Share
Published 4 February 2017 11:06pm
Updated 5 February 2017 8:16am
Source: AAP


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