Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research) Share this | Hansard source

I can indicate that I am advised that the reports today suggesting that the Malaysian High Commissioner is wanting the right to refuse people entry are inaccurate and misleading. While the government is not in a position to negotiate in public with the government of Malaysia, what I can say is that the reports published today are in­accurate. I remind the senator that UNHCR regional representative Richard Charles says that this is a bilateral agreement that has been negotiated within the broader regional cooperation framework with the involvement of the UNHCR, the involvement of the IOM, the International Organisation for Migration and, we hope, the involvement of other im­portant actors as well, including non-government organisations. So it is an agree­ment between countries that are actively involved with refugee issues and that commonly face a refugee displacement problem. (Time expired)