Australia requests Cambodia to receive legal asylum-seekers

English.news.cn   2014-02-22 17:55:35

PHNOM PENH, Feb. 22 (Xinhua) -- Visiting Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs Julie Bishop on Saturday asked Cambodia to take a small number of "legal asylum- seekers" from Australia, officials said.

Bishop made the request during a meeting with Prime Minister Hun Sen in the Cambodian capital of Phnom Penh.

"Bishop asked the premier to consider receiving a small number of legal refugees from Australia to live in Cambodia," Eang Sophallet, spokesman for Hun Sen, told reporters after the meeting.

"In response, Prime Minister Hun Sen said Cambodia will set up a committee to examine this request," he said.

Foreign Minister Hor Namhong told reporters that Cambodia would consider taking in some refugees from Australia.

"Previously, Cambodian people used to flee to other countries, but now, it is the time for Cambodia to take in refugees," he said.

Bishop arrived here on Friday for a two-day visit to further promote bilateral ties between the two countries.

Under the offshore processing scheme, which Australia says is aimed at deterring people-smugglers, any asylum-seeker arriving by boat or intercepted at sea is transferred to detention centers in Manus island of Papua New Guinea or the tiny Pacific nation of Nauru for processing.

If their asylum claims were approved they would only be allowed to settle outside Australia.

Editor: Fu Peng