New York: The Trump White House has publicly confirmed they will honour a deal struck by the Obama administration to take more than a thousand refugees from Australia's offshore detention centres, but said any people considered by the United States for resettlement would be subject to "extreme vetting".
President Donald Trump's press secretary, Sean Spicer, made the comments in a press conference on Tuesday afternoon in Washington, just days after a phone call took place between Prime Malcolm Turnbull and the new president.
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Trump calls Turnbull about refugee deal
In a 25-minute call with Malcolm Turnbull, Donald Trump said he will honour the Manus and Nauru deal. (Video courtesy: ABC News 24)
Asked a question about the deal by a journalist from the ABC, Mr Spicer confirmed the deal would "go forward" and for the first time revealed that it would involve 1250 refugees.
"Part of the deal is they have to be vetted in the same manner that we are doing now. There will be extreme vetting applied to all of them," he said.
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"That is part and parcel of the deal that was made. It was made by the Obama administration with the full backing of the United States government."
He continued: "The President, in accordance with that deal, to honour what had been agreed upon by the United States government, and ensuring that that vetting will take place, in the same manner that we're doing now, will go forward."
There were fears that a recent executive order signed by Mr Trump, placing a temporary ban on refugees entering the United States as well as travel restrictions for people from seven Muslim-majority countries, would prevent the asylum seekers being held on Manus Island and Nauru from being accepted for resettlement.
Reports indicate there are about 1800 refugees on Manus and Nauru. The government has previously indicated it is talking to regional partners about finding a permanent home for refugees not settled in the US.
Mr Spicer did not take a follow-up question on the deal and nor did he elaborate on the process of "extreme vetting" that would take place.