10 Mar 2016

Nauru to Cambodia deal billed expensive failure

9:15 am on 10 March 2016

The Australian Greens say an asylum seeker resettlement programme in Cambodia is an expensive failure.

This comes following news another two refugees transferred from Nauru last June have chosen to leave Cambodia.

The married couple have returned to their home country of Iran.

Another man from the original group of four, who was transferred from Nauru, left last year and one more has arrived.

Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young

Senator Sarah Hanson-Young Photo: AFP

The Greens immigration spokesperson Sarah Hanson-Young said the programme is a blatant waste of taxpayers' money.

She said for the couple to be pushed to the point where they had to return home risking their safety demonstrates just how bad conditions are in Nauru and Cambodia.

Australia offered Cambodia almost 40 million US dollars in aid for agreeing to resettle the refugees.