Thread: US Will Honor Refugee Deal With Australia, Vice-President Mike Pence Confirms

US will honour refugee deal with Australia, Vice-President Mike Pence confirms

Amy Remeikis

April 21, 2017


US Vice-President Mike Pence has reaffirmed that the Trump administration will honour the controversial refugee deal struck with Barack Obama, despite not liking it.

Made in the last days of the Obama administra
tion, the United States agreed to resettle refugees from Manus Island and Nauru, as Australia seeks to close its off-shore detention facilities.


In a phone call to Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull shortly after his election, President Donald Trump referred to it as the "worst deal ever" in a conversation later described as "tense".


Speaking to media following his bilateral meeting with Mr Turnbull in Sydney on Saturday, Mr Pence said the deal would go ahead, despite doubts over what Mr Trump had publicly labelled a "dumb" agreement.



http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politi...22-gvq889.html

Another let down by The Trump Administration. The American people are tired of the refugee and illegal immigration influx destroying our communities. We are tired of being told to support so many foreign citizens who hate us and who will not assimilate or accept our laws and American ways.

OUTRAGES!!!!

WE DO NOT WANT THEM. LET AUSTRALIA SHIP THEM BACK TO THEIR HOMELAND.

Just take custody of them on Navy ships, then sail them around until you find the country they came from, then sail there and drop them off.

By Laura Smith-Spark, CNN
Updated 4:30 AM ET, Sat April 22, 2017

(CNN)US Vice President Mike Pence said Saturday that the United States would "honor" a refugee resettlement agreement forged with Australia in the closing days of the Obama administration, despite it previously being described by US President Donald Trump as a "dumb deal."

Pence made the commitment -- subject to the refugees passing stringent US vetting procedures -- at a joint news conference in Sydney with Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, with whom Trump reportedly had a testy first call because of the refugee issue.

Under the arrangement, agreed by former US President Barack Obama and Turnbull in November within days of Trump's election, Australia would transfer up to 1,250 refugees currently held in offshore detention centers on the Pacific Island nation of Nauru and Papua New Guinea's Manus Island to the United States. Many are from Iran.

In return, Australia would resettle refugees from Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador, according to Reuters news agency, as part of a US-led program in Central America.

"Let me make it clear that the United States intends to honor the agreement, subject to the result of the vetting process that has now applied to all refugees considered for admission to the United States of America," said Pence, who is in Australia as part of a 10-day Asia-Pacific tour.

"President Trump has made it clear that we'll honor the agreement, but it doesn't mean we admire the agreement," he added. "Frankly looking back at the last administration, the President has never been shy about expressing frustration with other international agreements, most notably the so-called nuclear agreement with Iran."

Pence said the decision to abide by the deal despite Trump's "reservations" was a "reflection of the enormous importance of the historical alliance between the United States and Australia."

Turnbull voiced his thanks, saying "the commitment to honor the deal is very important and one that speaks volumes."
In a tweet posted February 2, Trump made his feelings about the agreement quite clear, saying: "Do you believe it? The Obama Administration agreed to take thousands of illegal immigrants from Australia. Why? I will study this dumb deal!"

Donald J. Trump ✔ @realDonaldTrump
Do you believe it? The Obama Administration agreed to take thousands of illegal immigrants from Australia. Why? I will study this dumb deal!
7:55 PM - 1 Feb 2017

Trump's frustration over the agreement and reports of his contentious first call with Turnbull led to concern that America's longstanding alliance with Australia, an important regional ally, might be dented.

But a White House foreign policy adviser played down any tensions ahead of Pence's arrival, saying the two allies would reaffirm their partnership on security, trade and immigration issues during the visit.

Pence has also visited Japan, South Korea and Indonesia on a trip aimed at shoring up alliances in the Asia-Pacific region at a time of heightened tensions with North Korea.

http://www.cnn.com/2017/04/22/politi...-refugee-deal/

Trump was right, it is a "dumb deal". Obama was a dumb President. And it's a damn shame that telephone conversation between Trump and the President of Australia was leaked. I think NSA did that, I really do. That created an international dilemma about an agreement from one President of the United States being honored by another. I hope Trump has a plan, I think he does, I don't think very many of them will actually end up in the United States, and if they do, it won't be for long.

US to honour 'dumb' refugee exchange deal with Australia

Vice-president Mike Pence says the White House's decision to honour a deal made by Barack Obama "doesn't mean we
admire it".

Saturday 22 April 2017

By Connor Sephton, News Reporter

The US is going to honour a controversial refugee exchange deal with Australia, despite Donald Trump's claims that it is "dumb".

Vice-president Mike Pence has said the agreement to resettle up to 1,250 asylum seekers, which was made by the Obama administration, is being fulfilled "out of respect to the extremely important alliance" between the US and Australia.

But during a news conference in Sydney alongside Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, Mr Pence said honouring the agreement "doesn't mean that we admire it".

The vice-president's trip, which is part of a 10-day tour of Asia-Pacific, is widely seen as an effort to smooth over relations with Australia.

Shortly after he was inaugurated, President Trump had a phone disagreement with Mr Turnbull about the exchange of refugees - and he cut the conversation short after reportedly telling him it was his "worst call by far" with a foreign leader that day.



Image:Australia has been under pressure to close the offshore refugee camps


Under the deal, asylum seekers held in offshore processing camps on South Pacific islands in Papua New Guinea and Nauru will be resettled in the US, with Australia taking in refugees from El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras in return.

The White House has already stressed that any refugees coming to America will be subject to "extreme vetting" before they are given asylum.

Commencing the deal has become more urgent for Australia, which has faced growing legal and political pressure to close the camps following cases of violence between refugees and island residents.

Given President Trump's unpopularity with many Australians, Mr Turnbull has been urged by some to distance the country's relationship with the US in favour of stronger ties with China.

The Prime Minister has resisted those calls, and although China is Australia's most important trading partner, America remains its closest ally on security matters.


Given the fact that Australia is one of the largest contributors to the US-led military campaigns in Iraq and Syria, Mr Pence was also keen to stress the "historic alliance" between the two countries.

As the vice-president gave a joint news conference alongside Mr Turnbull on the shores of Sydney Harbour, he said: "It's always heartening to stand beside a friend, and I do so today."

Tensions over North Korea's nuclear ambitions were also discussed by the pair during their meeting, with both agreeing that China should use its leverage with Pyongyang to peacefully de-escalate the threats posed by Kim Jong-Un's missile programme.

Mr Pence's tour is set to become more leisurely on Sunday with a tour of Sydney's Opera House, a boat ride along the harbour and a trip to a local zoo on the itinerary.



http://news.sky.com/story/us-to-hono...ralia-10845998

"In return, Australia would resettle refugees from Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador, according to Reuters news agency, as part of a US-led program in Central America."

---------------------------------------------

Why? Why take refugees from Central America but NOT the 1250 they left on that island? I smell a rat.

We get the disease infected 3rd World Muslims from countries we have NO way to vet them. Probably all men.

I hope it takes 50 years to "extremely" vet them. They are nothing but economic migrants picking and choosing where they want to go.

No one wants them...do not dump them on the US taxpayers.

Don't do this to us Australia. Load them up and ship them BACK to their homeland.

Send them to Africa...go diversify that continent.

Put them on US Navy ships and sail them around until you know what country they're from, then sail there and drop them off.

Trump should send them ALL to Hawaii

Justice served