(WTF?) Australia, U.S. Agree to Swap Refugees

[babylonsister]

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/world/AP-Australia-US-Refugee-Swap.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

Australia, U.S. Agree to Swap Refugees


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By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: April 18, 2007

Filed at 10:31 a.m. ET

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) -- Australia and the United States have signed an agreement to exchange a few hundred refugees held at island detention camps in an effort by both governments to discourage future asylum seekers, Australian officials said Wednesday.

There was no immediate comment from U.S. officials, but Australian critics ridiculed the deal, saying it was likely to spur an even bigger wave of asylum seekers to brave the treacherous ocean voyage to Australia by opening a back door to the United States.

Under the deal, some 90 Sri Lankans and Burmese now held at an Australian-run immigration detention camp on the Pacific island nation of Nauru could be resettled in the United States if they qualify as genuine refugees. Up to 200 such people could be sent each year.

Australia, in turn, would resettle up to 200 Cubans and Haitians annually from asylum seekers who are intercepted at sea while trying to get to the U.S. and held at the U.S. Navy base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

By holding up the prospect of being flown halfway around the world to an unfamiliar Australia with few cultural links to their homelands, the agreement would deter Cubans and Haitians from risking getting caught trying to reach the U.S., Prime Minister John Howard said.

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[Mojorabbit]

1. I do not

understand the particulars of this. Can anyone enlighten me?

[babylonsister]

2. Me neither. Sending Haitians and Cubans to AUS will make them not

want to defect? :crazy:
And who came up with this crazy-ass plan? This is our diplomatic corps?