Australia will offer to resettle some 4,400 people fleeing violence in Iraq and Syria, Immigration Minister Scott Morrison said yesterday, adding the places had been freed up by success in stopping asylum-seeker boats.
“The government’s policies under Operation Sovereign Borders have not only saved lives at sea, but also allowed more places to be returned to our humanitarian programme for the world’s most desperate and vulnerable people,” he said.
The minister said a minimum of 2,200 places would be for Iraqis, including ethnic and religious minorities fleeing the violence in the north of the country.
“The government has also committed a minimum of 2,200 places for Syrians, including those now living in desperate conditions in countries such as Lebanon,” he added.
Australia accepts 13,750 people into its humanitarian refugee programme each year.
