Cambodia not ready for refugees: Greens

News.com.au | 21 November 2014 

ASYLUM seekers being detained at an Australian centre on Nauru ahead of being resettled in Cambodia are being "set up to fail", Australian Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young says. 

SENATOR Hanson-Young, who's visiting Cambodia this week, says the country is not equipped to deal with the needs of "another group of vulnerable people".


She pointed to refugees from Myanmar who had lived in Cambodia for four years. "They can't get jobs, can't pay for their own accommodation, can't access the health services and have no real standing in the community even though in law they are legal," she told AAP. Australia's agreement to re-settle up to 1000 asylum seeker boat arrivals from the Nauru facility has sparked international criticism, including from the United Nations. Under the agreement Australia will provide Cambodia with $40 million in aid over four years, on top of the current $79 million allocated for the 2014/15 financial year. Refugees will receive Khmer language training, housing and basic living services for 12 months. However, Senator Hanson-Young says those at the Nauru detention centre were already "extremely traumatised". "No matter whether they're legally here - in the government's books - they won't be given jobs, they won't have access to local services without any type of formal recognised community ID card ... They're being set up to fail," she said. She renewed her call for the Australian government to allow remaining refugees in Nauru to be re-settled in Australia. "Australia needs to bite the bullet on this one and accept that those that are left in Nauru have no other option. They cannot go home, they are refugees and we should resettle them in our country," she said. Comment is being sought from the Australian government.