The ABC understands US President Donald Trump has confirmed his administration will continue to honour the refugee resettlement deal Australia made with the Obama administration.
The confirmation came in a phone call between President Trump and Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull this morning.
What we know about the deal
The US and Australia have agreed to a one-off refugee resettlement deal for people on Manus Island and Nauru. This is what we do and don't know about the agreement.
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and US President Donald Trump emphasised the "enduring strength and closeness" of the US-Australia relationship in the 25-minute phone call, the White House has said.
The phone call came just a day after Mr Trump signed an executive order suspending his country's refugee program, throwing doubt on Australia's refugee resettlement deal with the US.
"Both leaders emphasised the enduring strength and closeness of the US-Australia relationship that is critical for peace, stability and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific region and globally," the White House said in a statement.
The leaders had been expected to discuss the refugee resettlement deal, in which some refugees on Manus Island or Nauru would be resettled in the US instead of Australia.
Before the call, Mr Turnbull said there is a section in Mr Trump's executive order which states officials can still admit refugees under pre-existing international agreements.
The ABC understands that section was included in the final version of the executive order after the Prime Minister's office intervened.
"We are very confident and satisfied that existing arrangements will continue," Mr Turnbull said before the call.
"It's quite clear that the administration has set out in the order the ability to deal with existing arrangements."
Earlier this week senior government sources said they were confident the orders will not impact the deal to resettle refugees currently on Manus Island and Nauru, entered into late last year with former president Barack Obama.
Authorities had hoped to begin moving people to the US at the start of this year
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-01-...-talk-about-refugee-resettlement-deal/8220824
