WELLINGTON (Pacnews) — The New Zealand government is considering taking some of the Middle Eastern asylum seekers whose claims for refugee status have been assessed on Manus Island in Papua New Guinea.
More than three hundred asylum seekers, who had been denied entry to Australia, have been at the remote military base since late last year.
The possibility of New Zealand taking some of the refugees came up in discussions between the PNG and New Zealand Prime Ministers during the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in Coolum earlier this year.
It said New Zealand may accept up to 50 people from Manus.
The New Zealand Immigration Service has confirmed to Radio New Zealand International that the country is considering taking some of the refugees but no figures have been discussed.
Earlier this month New Zealand became the first country to accept refugees from the camps set up on Nauru to process another group of asylum seekers denied entry to Australia.
