Dozens of refugees who arrived in Australia and were expecting to resettle in the United States have been left in limbo due to the Trump administration’s freeze on refugee programs, an Australian official said.
Australia is currently “awaiting further advice” from the U.S. government regarding the status of its refugee program, which was suspended following an executive order signed by President Donald Trump on January 20.
“Less than 30 transitory individuals continue to pursue resettlement in the United States through the US resettlement arrangement – cases are at various stages of the process,” the spokesperson stated.
Australia’s Offshore Processing Policy
Australia does not allow asylum seekers who arrive by boat to settle in the country. A strict offshore processing policy introduced a decade ago, mandates that such arrivals be transferred to offshore camps in Nauru and Papua New Guinea (PNG) for refugee claim assessments.
Under a 2016 agreement with the Obama administration, the United States committed to resettle up to 1,250 refugees from offshore processing centers in PNG and Nauru.
While former President Trump initially criticized the deal upon taking office, he ultimately honored it.
As of August, the Home Affairs Department reported that 1,106 refugees had successfully resettled in the U.S., with others still undergoing pre-departure processes.
Australian Minister to Visit Nauru
Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke is set to visit Nauru on Thursday, where he will inspect the regional processing center, according to an official statement.
“Nauru remains ready to receive and process any new unauthorized maritime arrivals, future-proofing Australia’s response to maritime people smuggling,” the department spokesperson added.
