The PNG Immigration and Citizenship Service will work with Australia to process claims of Asylum seekers currently held at the Lombrum processing center.
This follows cabinet’s approval last month of the National Refugee policy.
Foreign Affairs Minister Rimbink Pato says the policy covers all refugees in PNG including those from Indonesia’s Papua Province.
The policy aims to build refugee self-sufficiency and enables them to contribute to PNG’s economic development.
“Many refugees and skills and experience that are short in supply in the country and needed greatly by businesses,” he says.
In the coming months PNG Immigration and Citizenship service will work with Australia on the placement of refugees in Manus and also the screening of over 2000 applications from West Papua Refugees to be granted citizenship.
Places where refugees will be settled are still under discussion.