Labor looks to Canada as option for asylum seeker resettlement
LABOR has floated Canada as an option for asylum seeker resettlement in a move that will likely ramp up the bitter election war over immigration.
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LABOR has floated Canada as an option for asylum seeker resettlement in a move that will likely ramp up the bitter election war over immigration.
The first world option for resettlement will reinvigorate the debate over how to be tough on people smugglers.
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has previously rejected a NZ offer to take 150 people, describing it as a marketing opportunity for people smugglers.
But now, Bill Shorten and Anthony Albanese have both floated a Canadian solution.
Labor has continually sought to reiterate that it is as intent as the Coalition on crushing people smugglers during the election, highlighting a focus on regional resettlement as point of distinction.
The Opposition now appears to be actively mooting a plan to resettle asylum seekers in Canada.
The idea was floated by shadow frontbencher Anthony Albanese on the ABC’s Q&A program on Monday night in response to a question.
“In terms of Manus and Nauru, the people who’ve been found to be refugees need to be settled in third countries, the way that you do that is by engaging with the UNHCR to ensure that those proper processes can occur,” Mr Albanese told the Program.
Asked about the viability of specific countries as options, he said: “There are a range of countries that are possibilities. Canada, for example, is an obvious one.”
He acknowledged that “New Zealand might be as well”, but was adamant that it would be up to whoever served as immigration minister.
Mr Shorten appeared to back the comments, pointing to Canada’s handling of 27,000 Syrian refugees, saying it “certainly does make our Government’s efforts not look in any fashion heroic compared to that”.
He reiterated Labor was intent on keeping people smugglers out of business and said the party, if it formed government, would begin talks with the UNHCR about other possible resettlement options.
“It is disgraceful that we haven’t had that sort of high level dialogue to have regional resettlement,” Mr Shorten said.
“In terms of Canada it’s an excellent settlement country, and we would certainly make a priority to negotiate through the United Nations High Commission for Refugees and other nations in our region, the timely resettlement of people in Manus and Nauru.”
Originally published as Labor looks to Canada as option for asylum seeker resettlement
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