23 Jul 2018

Nauru refugees beg NZ govt for asylum

From Morning Report, 8:46 am on 23 July 2018

The New Zealand government is being begged to take a group of refugees being held at the detention centre on Nauru. Twenty-seven refugees have written to Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, saying they promise not to use this country as a back door to Australia - as the Australian government has claimed could happen. The United States has agreed to resettle up to 1250 refugees from Nauru and Manus Island and but has banned migrants from five majority muslim countries. One of the refugees, who did not want his name broadcast, told RNZ deputy political editor Chris Bramwell that he and his family fled Iran five years ago for political reasons. but now feel totally trapped as they know the US will not take them because Iran is an Islamic republic.