Trump had labeled the deal as “dumb”.
As per two sources located at Australia’s offshore detention centers, officials from the U.S. Homeland Security have begun “extreme vetting” interviews in Australia.
Trump had termed Washington’s refugee swap deal with Australia as “a dumb deal”.
Last month, the Trump administration had said it will agree to take upto 1,250 asylum seekers from Australia’s centers on the condition of strict checks.
In exchange, Australia has pledged to take Central American refugees from a center in Costa Rica from where the U.S. has expanded its intake of refugees in recent years.
As per two refugees who went through the process, the first security interviews were completed last week at Papua New Guinea’s Manus Island detention center.
According to them, the interviews began with an oath to God in which they pledged to tell the truth. The interview then plodded on for the next 6 hours in which the refugees were bombarded with in-depth questions on family, friends, associates, and their interactions with the Islamic State militant group, if any.
“They asked about why I fled my home, why I sought asylum in Australia,” said a refugee on the condition of anonymity since revealing his name could potentially jeopardize his application for U.S. resettlement.
The security interviews are stated to be the last stage of U.S. consideration of applicants.
Detention Centres in Australia’s Manus Island hold nearly 1,300 refugees who were intercepted trying to reach Australian shores by boat.
Australia’s relationship with the new U.S. administration got off a rocky start when Trump blasted Malcolm Turnbull, the Australian Prime Minister over the resettlement arrangement, labelling it as a “dumb deal”.
This refugee swap deal is designed to help Papua New Guinea and Australia proceed with the planned closure of the Manus detention center on October 31.
Australia has offered $25,000 to the detainees to voluntarily return home. Very few have taken up the offer.
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