BANGKOK: Australian Immigration minister Peter Dutton has met Cambodia's strongman Prime Minister Hun Sen to salvage a $55 million agreement with the impoverished nation to resettle more refugees from Nauru.
Only days after declaring it had no plans to resettle more than four refugees who arrived in June, Cambodia says it is now ready to take more in groups of four or five.
The breakthrough came after Mr Dutton flew to the Cambodian capital Phnom Penh from Europe where he held talks on Europe's migration crisis.
Mr Dutton said meetings he held with Mr Hun Sen and the country's powerful Interior Minister Sar Kheng "reinforced the commitment of both nations to the successful implementation of the resettlement arrangements of refugees from Nauru."
He indicated that more refugees on Nauru had "expressed interest in moving to Cambodia" but gave no details.
Senior Cambodian official Sri Thamrong told the Phnom Penh Post that Cambodia is "ready to accept more refugees . . . we will send our officials, a team from the Ministry of Interior, to interview them."
"We want to have more refugees come, a group of four or five people at a time," he said.
Mr Dutton last week downplayed reports the agreement with Cambodia appeared to have collapsed and suggested that more refugees from Nauru may be willing to give up their hopes of reaching Australia to take a one-way flight to Cambodia, one of the world's poorest nations.
Interior Ministry spokesman Khieu Sopheak had earlier said the agreement with Australia remained valid "but at the moment we want to see the first pilot refugees that have already arrived here integrate into our society before we accept newcomers."
The agreement gives Cambodia the right to decide how many refugees it accepts.
One of the refugees who arrived in June, a 25-year-old Rohingya Muslim from Burma (Myanmar), has asked to return to his homeland and three Iranians have complained about the resettlement arrangements despite living in a luxury Australian paid villa in a Phnom Penh suburb.
Refugee agency sources in Phnom Penh have confirmed to Fairfax Media the refugees have been unhappy about restrictions on their movements despite being promised training, help finding work, language tuition, health insurance and other benefits.
Myanmar's embassy in Phnom Penh has confirmed that the Rohingya man asked on August 7 to return to Myanmar where Rohingya Muslims say they face persecution and denial of basic rights.
Myanmar's military-dominated government has not yet granted approval.
Phnom Penh Post journalist Alice Cuddy said that Mr Dutton met with half a dozen Australian officials at five-star Raffles Le Royal Hotel on Wednesday evening, including Australian ambassador Alison Burrows.
She said over coffees and beers they were overheard discussing what Mr Dutton would put in his statement on Thursday.
Mr Dutton said "maybe we'll say Cambodian officials will ensure to make arrangements for the next group" of refugees.
Australia has spent $15 million to resettle the four refugees in Cambodia on top of $40 million in additional development aid the Abbott government gave Mr Hun Sen's regime in return for the agreement that has been criticised by Cambodia's opposition parties and human rights and refugee advocacy groups.
The government has thrown huge resources to convince refugees on Nauru to go to Cambodia with immigration officials on the Pacific island portraying Cambodia as a sort of developing utopia.
Mr Hun Sen has brutally quashed opposition and dissent in the country over his three decade rule in the country where 18 per cent of the country's 15 million people survive on less than $1.22 a day.
Refugee advocates had doubted that any more refugees on Nauru would agree to resettle in the country where refugees already there have complained of discrimination and inability to get access to jobs, education and health services.
with Alice Cuddy
Only days after declaring it had no plans to resettle more than four refugees who arrived in June, Cambodia says it is now ready to take more in groups of four or five.
The breakthrough came after Mr Dutton flew to the Cambodian capital Phnom Penh from Europe where he held talks on Europe's migration crisis.
Mr Dutton said meetings he held with Mr Hun Sen and the country's powerful Interior Minister Sar Kheng "reinforced the commitment of both nations to the successful implementation of the resettlement arrangements of refugees from Nauru."
He indicated that more refugees on Nauru had "expressed interest in moving to Cambodia" but gave no details.
Senior Cambodian official Sri Thamrong told the Phnom Penh Post that Cambodia is "ready to accept more refugees . . . we will send our officials, a team from the Ministry of Interior, to interview them."
"We want to have more refugees come, a group of four or five people at a time," he said.
Mr Dutton last week downplayed reports the agreement with Cambodia appeared to have collapsed and suggested that more refugees from Nauru may be willing to give up their hopes of reaching Australia to take a one-way flight to Cambodia, one of the world's poorest nations.
Interior Ministry spokesman Khieu Sopheak had earlier said the agreement with Australia remained valid "but at the moment we want to see the first pilot refugees that have already arrived here integrate into our society before we accept newcomers."
The agreement gives Cambodia the right to decide how many refugees it accepts.
One of the refugees who arrived in June, a 25-year-old Rohingya Muslim from Burma (Myanmar), has asked to return to his homeland and three Iranians have complained about the resettlement arrangements despite living in a luxury Australian paid villa in a Phnom Penh suburb.
Refugee agency sources in Phnom Penh have confirmed to Fairfax Media the refugees have been unhappy about restrictions on their movements despite being promised training, help finding work, language tuition, health insurance and other benefits.
Myanmar's embassy in Phnom Penh has confirmed that the Rohingya man asked on August 7 to return to Myanmar where Rohingya Muslims say they face persecution and denial of basic rights.
Myanmar's military-dominated government has not yet granted approval.
Phnom Penh Post journalist Alice Cuddy said that Mr Dutton met with half a dozen Australian officials at five-star Raffles Le Royal Hotel on Wednesday evening, including Australian ambassador Alison Burrows.
She said over coffees and beers they were overheard discussing what Mr Dutton would put in his statement on Thursday.
Mr Dutton said "maybe we'll say Cambodian officials will ensure to make arrangements for the next group" of refugees.
Australia has spent $15 million to resettle the four refugees in Cambodia on top of $40 million in additional development aid the Abbott government gave Mr Hun Sen's regime in return for the agreement that has been criticised by Cambodia's opposition parties and human rights and refugee advocacy groups.
The government has thrown huge resources to convince refugees on Nauru to go to Cambodia with immigration officials on the Pacific island portraying Cambodia as a sort of developing utopia.
Mr Hun Sen has brutally quashed opposition and dissent in the country over his three decade rule in the country where 18 per cent of the country's 15 million people survive on less than $1.22 a day.
Refugee advocates had doubted that any more refugees on Nauru would agree to resettle in the country where refugees already there have complained of discrimination and inability to get access to jobs, education and health services.
with Alice Cuddy
