Cambodia arrival of the first Australia's unwanted refugees imminent

[geovalin]

Lindsay Murdoch
South-East Asia correspondent for Fairfax Media

Bangkok: Four refugees detained in the tiny Pacific island of Nauru are set to arrive in Cambodia as part of a controversial agreement that has so far cost Australian taxpayers $55.5 million.

The Iranian couple, Iranian man and a Rohingya Muslim man from Myanmar will be given villa-style accommodation, bank accounts, income support, health insurance, training and other benefits when they arrive in the capital Phnom Penh.

Their journey to one of the world's poorest nations has been shrouded in secrecy since the group travelled from Nauru to the Northern Territory in early May where they waited for Cambodia to approve of them becoming permanent residents.

The Nauru detention centre where Amnesty International says refugees are packed into leaky tents in hot, cramped conditions. Photo: Angela Wylie

A spokesman for the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) a multi-country agency which has been contracted by Australia to take care of the refugees, said their arrival in Phnom Penh on Wednesday was "likely but not confirmed".

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A spokesman for Immigration Minister Peter Dutton declined to reveal any information about the group, saying "as you know we haven't been making any comment on this".

The agreement signed at a champagne-sipping ceremony in September has been condemned by Cambodia's opposition parties, the United Nations refugee agency, non-government-organisations and human rights and refugee advocacy groups.

The Nauru Detention centre being rebuilt in 2013 after riots and fires damaged much of the structure. Photo: Canstruct

Cambodia is rated as one of the world's most corrupt nations with a poor human rights record, while millions of Cambodians live in poverty.

A Senate Estimates committee in Canberra has been told the cost for providing services to support the resettlement of the refugees so far is $15.5 million.

This is in addition to $40 million Australia has pledged in additional aid to Cambodia for agreeing to the deal.

Mr Dutton has said he hoped other refugees on Nauru who refused to give up their hopes of living in Australia to go to Cambodia would change their minds once they see how the first group has settled there.

But any further volunteers will not receive the same benefits as the first group.

An IOM spokesman said it was likely that when the refugees arrive they will go straight to accommodation that has been arranged for them at a secret location.

"Media exposure could potentially jeopardise protection needs of the refugees and carries a high level of risk to their families at home," the IOM spokesman said.

"While IOM can speak in general terms about what services will be available to refugees, IOM will not disclose any specific details about a refugee's particular assistance," he said.

http://www.smh.com.au/world/cambodia-arrival-of-the-first-australias-unwanted-refugees-imminent-20150602-ghewna.html