 Refugees currently held on Nauru could be transferred to the US under the new deal (AFP PHOTO) |  |
The Australian and United States governments have signed off on a new refugee exchange program which will see Cuban refugees from Guantanamo Bay considered for resettlement in Australia.
Under the deal, signed by immigration authorities in Washington last week, asylum seekers held on Nauru would in turn be considered for resettlement in the United States.
The deal allows for a maximum of 200 asylum seekers to be resettled in both countries every year.
A spokeswoman for Immigration Minister Kevin Andrews says the deal is designed to send a strong message of deterrence to people smugglers.
And she says the new arrangement would help ensure a more orderly immigration program.
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The Federal Government is finalising an agreement with the US to exchange asylum seekers detained on Nauru for Cubans currently held at Guantanamo Bay, but critics have condemned the deal as shocking and bizarre.
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