The Papuan refugees crossed the border into Papua New Guinea many years ago and settled in Port Moresby.
Last year they were evicted from borrowed land while living in makeshift tents and tarpaulins.
The West Papuans have been campaigning to the UNHCR to be resettled in Vanuatu.
However, the UNHCR’s Richard Towle said their plea has been rejected.
“From our point of view, resettlement is really a last resort for the most deserving of the deserving on the basis of protection needs and we don’t think that this group falls within that category,” he said.
The PNG government would rather the refugees return home across the border to Indonesian-governed Papua.
