Under Australia’s immigration policy, asylum seekers intercepted at sea are sent to camps in Papua New Guinea and Nauru. Independent lawmakers and the opposition joined forces in February to give doctors the right to order sick asylum seekers be sent to Australia if they required medical care. As a result, Morrison said the medical evacuation legislation is unnecessary and undermines Canberra’s border policy, designed to discourage asylum seekers from undertaking dangerous sea voyages to Australia. In 2016, Australia agreed a deal with former US president Barack Obama to offer refuge to up to 1,250 asylum seekers. Australia has rejected offers from New Zealand to take a further 150 asylum seekers, fearing refugees would use it as a “backdoor entry” to Australia.

Source: Taipei Times December 04, 2019 16:07 UTC