Australia-New Zealand refugee deal: UN blames mental health toll after just 36 people take up offer

UN refugee agency says many refugees have been traumatised by years in Australian detention camps, hampering uptake of the offer

In nearly six months, just 36 people have taken up New Zealand's offer to resettle refugees held in Australian detention camps such as Nauru, with UN's refugee agency saying the brutality of Australia's immigration regime is partly to blame.

In March 2022, Australia's government accepted a longstanding offer from New Zealand to resettle up to 450 refugees from Australia's regional processing centres over the next three years, at a rate of up to 150 per year. But after nearly six months, uptake has been slow - stymied by the dire mental health of prospective applicants.