The government has said there was no deal over refugees. Photo: AFP
The government has scotched suggestions a deal bringing refugees from Australia to New Zealand is part of a tradeoff for policy changes on citizenship and 501 deportees.
RNZ revealed this week that most of the 450 refugees in a three-year agreement on former detention centre occupants are already living in Australia.
About 30 refugees are due to arrive next month.
The deal for New Zealand to take refugees from detention centres was first offered by former Prime Minister John Key in 2013.
At that time, the Refugee Council said speculation in Australia was that the agreement involved an unannounced exchange: that in the event of a boat of asylum-seekers arriving in New Zealand, it would be sent to one of the Australian detention centres.
According to the Refugee Council's then chief executive, Gary Poole, there was also talk about expat New Zealanders getting permanent residence in Australia.
Key acknowledged there had already been discussions about the possibility of using Australia's detention centres if there was a mass maritime arrival.
But no asylum-seeker boats reached New Zealand shores, and the offer for Australia to send refugees across the Tasman was not taken up.
Last March, after the refugee deal was announced, there was again speculation as to whether the government had been offered something in return - this time possibly a softening in Australia's stance towards returning New Zealand deportees who had broken the law.
A change in policy on 501s started to emerge in July last year. An announcement about citizenship for New Zealanders in Australia came a month ago.
Prime Minister Chris Hipkins denied it was the result of a negotiation between the two countries, saying they were Australia's decisions.
A spokesperson for Immigration Minister Michael Wood said on Friday there was no connection between the refugee deal and the changes in Australian policies towards New Zealanders.
Somewhere to call home
Mostafa has been living in Melbourne since being released from immigration detention two years ago.
The Iranian refugee was in the group of 30 flying to New Zealand in the next five weeks.
In 2013, he was taken to a detention centre on Manus Island in Papua New Guinea after he arrived by boat in Australia.
Transferred back to Australia for medical treatment in 2020, he said he received none. It was only after he was released from detention and living in Melbourne that a GP referred him to a neurologist who saw the results of his MRI - taken while in detention - and realised he had suffered a stroke there.
He was glad to be getting away from Australia, he said.
"For example, the Australian government's logo all the time reminds me of my detention centre, because I used to see that logo all the time there.
"The Australian government used to convince me that 'all Australians are like us, and they hate you'. But I met many lovely Australians in Australia."
Now counting down to his move to New Zealand, he struggles when asked whether he is happy.
"It's not about happiness at this stage, it's about survival. I think it's too early to think about happiness, for me at least. Because at this stage, I think about much simpler things about life. Happiness is a strange feeling that I haven't experienced for 10 years.
"I'm just looking for somewhere to call home and you know, a place where you feel comfortable and peaceful, and getting away from the pressures that the Australian government put on me. I know I will have a stable life in New Zealand."
