Leaders discuss refugee centre

 The Australian and PNG governments are discussing the extension of the regional resettlement arrangement until next year to  enable the two countries to address concerns. 

This was made known at the 24th Australia-PNG Ministerial Forum which was co-chaired by Australian Foreign Affairs Minister MP Julie Bishop and her counterpart Rimbink Pato at Parliament House in Canberra, Australia last Thursday. 

Bishop and Pato noted that seven refugees had been settled under the PNG National Refugee Policy and 61 people had left the Regional Processing Centre in preparation for life in PNG.

Both ministers noted that 515 final refugee status determinations were made by PNG, consisting of 480 persons found to be refugees.

The forum welcomed PNG’s intention to complete all refugee status determinations before the end of this month and both governments reiterated their commitment under the resettlement arrangement.

It was also acknowledged during the forum about PNG;s passage of its first National Refugee Policy.

Australia made a 2013 deal to provide PNG to house a detention centre and resettle refugees.