Aust lobbying Trump officials on refugees

Barnaby Joyce hopes Australia's US refugee deal will be honoured by President Donald Trump but admits Canberra will have to wait and see.

Australia's deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce

Barnaby Joyce says it's not the end of the world if Australia's refugee deal with the US collapses. (AAP)

The Turnbull government has been lobbying senior Trump administration officials in an attempt to secure Canberra's refugee deal to resettle asylum seekers on Manus Island and Nauru in the United States.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull is confident the agreement - struck with the former Obama administration - will stick.

"They are in the interests of both parties," the prime minister told reporters in Canberra on Thursday.

There are concerns the deal could be impacted by pending executive orders by President Donald Trump to restrict immigration from certain Muslim-majority countries.

Mr Turnbull says the deal is being revisited and his government is having extensive discussions with the Trump administration.

Immigration Minister Peter Dutton has had direct talks with Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly.

"We would like for that (deal) to continue with the Trump administration but we are working with the Trump officials at the moment," Mr Dutton told Sydney radio 2GB on Thursday.

The immigration minister said Canberra was keen to work with the new administration in Washington but ultimately the outcome was out of its hands.

"We respect the fact it's a decision for President Trump," Mr Dutton said.

Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce says it's not the end of the world if the deal collapses.

The Nationals leader hopes the "well-planned and well-thought out" deal will be honoured but admits it's a case of waiting-and-seeing.

Regardless, Australia's border protection policies will remain in place.

"It doesn't mean we are going to be changing our position," he told 2GB.

Australia was once ridiculed and criticised for policies such as offshore processing, Mr Joyce said.

"Other countries used to knock us ... now they're trying to replicate us."


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2 min read
Published 26 January 2017 1:00pm
Source: AAP


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