Cambodia, Nauru in talks on refugees (#Australia)

[geovalin]

Asylum seekers on Nauru could find themselves in Cambodia if Australia seals a deal with the two countries.

Immigration Minister Scott Morrison has given the biggest hint so far at what is under discussion with Cambodia.

He says the Asian nation wouldn't process asylum seekers who have aimed for Australia but could resettle those found to be refugees.

'It is about a regional discussion on broadening the number of resettlement places,' the minister told ABC TV on Thursday.

'This is about resettlement not processing. The processing is done in Nauru.'

There would be three signatory countries to any deal: Nauru, Cambodia and Australia, he said.

Australia's offshore processing deal with Nauru doesn't require it to permanently resettle any refugees there, unlike the arrangement in Papua New Guinea.

Mr Morrison and Foreign Minister Julie Bishop have separately visited Cambodia this year.

A Cambodian government spokesman told the Phnom Penh Post last Friday the country's foreign ministry may soon release details of their proposal.

It has been speculated the agreement could be worth $40 million and involve up to 100 refugees.

A team of human rights experts affiliated with the United Nations is trying to visit Nauru to inspect detention conditions, including for asylum seekers.

The UN working group had to cancel a visit planned for next week despite the Nauru government initially proposing those dates.

The government said it was no longer able to accommodate the visit 'due to unforeseen circumstances', a spokesman for the group said on Thursday.

A Nauru government spokesman said on Wednesday the country had not invited the group to visit, had only learned of its intention via media reports and suspected it was 'merely another publicity stunt by a group with a political agenda'.

http://www.skynews.com.au/topstories/article.aspx?id=966356