Fed: Crean calls on govt to honour pledge to take refugees

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Fed: Crean calls on govt to honour pledge to take refugees

CANBERRA, April 9 AAP - Australia had to honour its commitment to take its fair shareof genuine refugees, Opposition Leader Simon Crean said today.

Mr Crean told ABC radio that the government needed to get on with the job of findingresettlement facilities for the people who had been determined genuine refugees by theUnited Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

"Australia now has to honour its pledge to take its fair share," he said.

"That's what the government has said - so what we want is the government to get onwith the job ... of finding resettlement facilities for these people who have been judgedgenuine refugees."

More than 200 people, including just seven Afghani asylum seekers rescued from theMV Tampa last year, have been assessed as refugees by the UNHCR.

Another 240 asylum seekers, held on either Nauru and Papua New Guinea's Manus Island,have the right to appeal their ruling.

Australia has not guaranteed it will take the refugees and Immigration Minister PhilipRuddock is in discussions with third party countries about resettlement.

AAP so/cjh

KEYWORD: BOAT CREAN