Cambodia - The first group of refugees to be settled from Nauru to Cambodia landed today (4/6) on a commercial flight in Phnom Penh.

The group, which comprised four people, volunteered to participate in the landmark settlement agreement signed between the Australian and Cambodian governments in September 2014.

The group has transferred to temporary accommodation in Phnom Penh, where IOM will begin to provide essential support, including language training, cultural and social orientation, education services, health services and employment services.

IOM looks forward to continued cooperation from the Australian and Cambodian governments as part of its commitment to facilitate the smooth and successful integration of the refugees.

There are a number of core principles underpinning the settlement of the refugees in Cambodia. The settlement is strictly voluntary and refugees will receive support tailored to their needs to start new lives.

They will be encouraged and supported to integrate into the Cambodian community and become self-reliant as quickly as possible.

The Memorandum of Understanding between Cambodia and Australia states that Cambodia will treat all refugees settled under the arrangement in accordance with its obligations under the 1951 Refugee Convention.

Cambodia’s domestic legislation also explicitly provides that refugees shall enjoy all the rights stipulated in the Refugee Convention. As such, the Cambodian government is expected to afford all rights of refugees under existing domestic Cambodian laws and applicable international law, including the Refugee Convention.

“IOM’s involvement will be in the best interest of vulnerable refugees who voluntarily choose to settle to Cambodia,” said IOM Cambodia Chief of Mission Leul Mekonnen.

Australia will cover all direct costs of the settlement arrangement, including support provided to refugees and relevant capacity building programs for the Government of Cambodia to ensure resources are available to successfully receive and integrate the refugees who would voluntarily settle from Nauru to Cambodia.

While providing care and integration support to refugees, IOM will uphold and respect the privacy, dignity and rights of the refugees.

IOM will maintain confidentiality regarding the refugees’ personal information and situation, including the nature of services provided to a particular refugee, in order to provide protection to the refugees, as well as their families back home.

The four refugees who arrived today have specifically requested privacy during their arrival and integration into Cambodian society. IOM is requesting the media to respect that wish.

For more information please contact IOM Cambodia. Kristin Dadey, Tel. +855.78.798.188, Email: kdadey@iom.int. Or Joe Lowry on +6681.870.80.81, Email jlowry@iom.int.