Australia accepts to resettle refugees in New Zealand

A New Zealand minister said Thursday he was pleased that Australia had accepted a longstanding offer by Wellington to resettle boat refugees it had sent to the remote island nation of Nauru. Under the terms of the deal, New Zealand will resettle up to 450 refugees over three years who are either living on Nauru or in temporary processing facilities in Australia.

Former New Zealand Prime Minister John Key first offered to take 150 offshore refugees annually back in 2013, and the offer has been repeated by leaders since, including by current Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. But until now Australia has always balked, arguing that if the refugees gained citizenship in New Zealand, they could use that as a way to move to Australia because of the two countries' free-movement policy. Australia did not immediately say what had prompted it to finally accept the offer, although the office of Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews said the refugees that New Zealand accepts from Nauru will never be allowed to settle in Australia. After five years as permanent residents, they could become citizens of New Zealand, he added. Australia has faced harsh international criticism for the way it has treated boat refugees.