NZ could take Aust asylum seekers - PM
August 23, 2011 11:53 am
Prime Minister John Key says New Zealand could take asylum seekers from Australian refugee centres but is holding firm on his refusal to let in the Sri Lankan boat people detained in Indonesia last month.
Mr Key today said he was not aware of any negotiations with Australia about the 88 Sri Lankan boat people who last month indicated they could have been heading to New Zealand.
He reaffirmed his position that they were unwelcome and not New Zealand’s responsibility.
“In due course I am sure there will be a wider discussion about the issue of people smuggling between a number of interested parties, and that includes Australia and New Zealand, but there’s nothing specifically happening that I am aware of in relation to that boat.”
Mr Key was happy to discuss taking in refugees from Australian detention centres, saying that was a possibility and he was not close-minded.
But he added New Zealand had “no interest” in hosting a refugee centre here.
“We will have a discussion about changing where we take our refugees from. Not all of them, but some of them.
“But we haven’t had those discussions yet and that would be some way down the track. In the end they would have to fit the criteria.”
The criteria were set by the United Nations, which set a quota of 750 refugees a year for New Zealand.
“Arguably some of them could come from camps, where they are part of this whole process, as long as they were genuinely identified as refugees,” Mr Key said.
Mr Key said that process needed to be worked through and New Zealand would be involved in discussions within the Asia Pacific region.
He was not rushing into any decisions but was open-minded about the discussions, reports Otago Daily Times.
Mr Key today said he was not aware of any negotiations with Australia about the 88 Sri Lankan boat people who last month indicated they could have been heading to New Zealand.
He reaffirmed his position that they were unwelcome and not New Zealand’s responsibility.
“In due course I am sure there will be a wider discussion about the issue of people smuggling between a number of interested parties, and that includes Australia and New Zealand, but there’s nothing specifically happening that I am aware of in relation to that boat.”
Mr Key was happy to discuss taking in refugees from Australian detention centres, saying that was a possibility and he was not close-minded.
But he added New Zealand had “no interest” in hosting a refugee centre here.
“We will have a discussion about changing where we take our refugees from. Not all of them, but some of them.
“But we haven’t had those discussions yet and that would be some way down the track. In the end they would have to fit the criteria.”
The criteria were set by the United Nations, which set a quota of 750 refugees a year for New Zealand.
“Arguably some of them could come from camps, where they are part of this whole process, as long as they were genuinely identified as refugees,” Mr Key said.
Mr Key said that process needed to be worked through and New Zealand would be involved in discussions within the Asia Pacific region.
He was not rushing into any decisions but was open-minded about the discussions, reports Otago Daily Times.
