Leader of the House Christopher Pyne in Question Time yesterrday. Picture: AAP Image/Lukas Coch
AUSTRALIA and the US are set to announce a deal to resettle about 1800 asylum seekers at Australia’s offshore detention centres before Donald Trump takes office.
The two governments are poised to make the announcement which could effectively end the offshore detention of asylum-seekers, The Australian reports.
Defence Industry Minister Christopher Pyne did not confirm the report when quizzed on Friday morning but noted there was plenty of time before President-elect Trump took office on January 20.
“If it’s the case, it will be another great achievement from the Turnbull government,” he told the Nine Network on Friday.
Labor frontbencher Anthony Albanese welcomed the news.
“These are people who are refugees, who have been found to be refugees, who, if they are settled in a country like the United States, that will be a good thing,” he said.
Proposed laws to ban asylum seekers who come to Australia by boat from ever settling in Australia, or even visiting as a tourist later in life, passed the lower house on Thursday.
The laws face opposition in the Senate from Labor, the Greens and the Nick Xenophon team, which holds three crucial votes.
Senator Xenaphon’s team will support the bill only if Australia doubles its refugee intake.
