Immigration correspondent
Cambodia solution ... Immigration Minister Scott Morrison is expanding the "club" of nations willing to take asylum seekers bound for Australia. Photo: Andrew Meares
Cambodia has
agreed "in principle" to resettle asylum seekers bound for Australia, after weeks of speculation as to whether the controversial deal would go ahead.
In principle, the government has agreed
On Tuesday night, Cambodia's Secretary of State at the Foreign Affairs Ministry said the decision for the south east Asian country to resettle asylum seekers had been made.
Initial agreement to take asylum seekers ... from left, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen talks with Interior Minister Sar Kheng and Defence Minister Tea Banh. Photo: AP
"In principle, the government has agreed ... and we will do the work according to international standards," said Ouch Borith, Secretary of State at the Foreign Affairs Ministry.
Mr Borith met with a representative of the United Nations on Tuesday in Phnom Penh.
Human rights groups have condemned the Abbott government for seeking an agreement to send asylum seekers to Cambodia, one of South-East Asia's poorest countries, which has one of the worst human rights records in Asia.
The country is dependent on hundreds of millions of dollars a foreign aid, with Australia sending $US244 million to Phnom Penh over the past three years.
The United Nations refugee agency has warned resettlement countries are obliged to deliver education and labour rights and “not just safety.”
“Cambodia is a country that has its own set of difficulties, including economically,” Volker Turk, the UNHCR’s director of international protection,” said on Tuesday.
“I don’t want to speculate. The government has not contacted us on this . . . it’s not just about safety, it’s about fundamental human rights.” he said.
Mr Morrison has not publicly revealed details of the agreement.
But he said in a television interview on April 10 it would involve asylum seekers currently detained on the tiny South Pacific nation of Nauru.
Phil Robertson, deputy director of Human Rights Watch’s Asia division, said Cambodia’s capacity to take care of asylum seekers or refugees is low and Australia is shirking its international obligations.
“Uighurs from China or human rights activists from Vietnam can explain about Cambodia’s shoddy record towards refugees,” he said.
“This proposal is absolutely shameful and deserves public condemnation across the region, from Phnom Penh to Canberra, and by the UNHCR.”
The UN Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights Flavia Pansieri, who is visiting Cambodia said the United Nations would provide support.
"What we think is important is to note that Cambodia is well aware of its international commitment to human rights standards," Ms Pansieri said.
"To the extent there is any need for cooperation, we stand ready to provide support to ensure that standards are met."
The announcement comes as the 1177 asylum seekers in Nauru were told they would be given a temporary five-year visa on the island and would be given work rights for the same amount of time, but would not be permanently resettled there.