A refugee who previously said Australia abandoned him in Cambodia now acknowledges he received a lump sum of $38,000 for the education and health insurance of his children, on top of $60,000 in previous payments. *$ AUS
Key points:
- Abdullah Zalghani agreed to move to Cambodia in exchange with support from Australia
- In May, he told the ABC Australia had not given him enough to cover health and education costs
- He spent some of a $38,000 payment repaying debts incurred by his family while he was in detention
Abdullah Zalghani fled Syria with his wife and children in 2011, but left them in Lebanon while he tried to reach Australia.
His boat from Indonesia was stopped on the way to Australia in 2013, and he was detained on Christmas Island and Nauru.
In 2016, Mr Zalghani agreed to be resettled in Cambodia.
In exchange he was to receive a package of cash and payments to a bank account totalling $60,000, as well as in-kind assistance, mostly provided by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM).
His wife and four children joined him in Phnom Penh in December.
Full story: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-06-29/cambodia-refugee-says-australian-settlement-deal-not-enough/11257974
