Journo granted refugee status in New Zealand

[Eldorado 55,665]

"Behrouz Boochani, the Kurdish Iranian exile and journalist who became the voice of those incarcerated on Manus Island, has had his refugee status formally recognised by New Zealand, and granted a visa to live there.

"He said he finally felt secure “knowing that I have a future”. “I am very happy to have some certainty about my future, I feel relieved and secure finally,” he told the Guardian from Christchurch.

“But, at the same time, I cannot fully celebrate this because so many people who were incarcerated with me are still struggling to get freedom, still in PNG, on Nauru, in detention in Australia. And even if they are released, Australia’s policy still exists.”

Full report at the UK Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jul/24/behrouz-boochani-granted-refugee-status-in-new-zealand

And at the Canberra Times: https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/6847935/nz-extends-arms-to-refugee-boochani/?cs=14232

The Manus Regional Processing Centre: Wikipedia