Refugee Swap?

[Aliantha]

ASYLUM seekers would get a "free ticket" to the US under a controversial refugee swap deal.

The federal Opposition yesterday warned the deal to swap up to 200 asylum seekers a year between the two countries would result in an influx of illegal immigrants trying to use Australia as a backdoor destination to the US.

Opposition immigration spokesman Tony Burke said giving asylum seekers a free ticket to the US was a "strange" deterrent.

"Around the refugee camps around the world there is no greater prize than to be able to get to the United States," he said.

"What John Howard is saying to people now is if you pay a people smuggler and get yourself to Christmas Island, John Howard will get you to New York."

Under the deal – struck in Washington DC last week – a group of 88 Sri Lankan and Burmese asylum seekers being processed by Australian authorities on Nauru would be the first group exchanged for Cuban and Haitian refugees held at Guantanamo Bay.

This has got to be the stupidest thing I've ever heard of. I'm not sure what Australia is going to gain from having Cuban refugees although it's got to be a much better deal for them than Gitmo. I know someone who's been working as a guard in Naru and it's pretty decent there, especially compared to Gitmo (from what I've heard).