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Cambodia refugee resettlement: Immigration Minister Scott Morrison says deal is a long-term arrangement

Australia's refugee resettlement deal with Cambodia is a long-term arrangement that will start small but build over time, Immigration Minister Scott Morrison said.

The deal, announced on Friday and many months in the making, has been condemned by the United Nations' refugee agency and human rights advocates.

Speaking to the ABC's AM program, Mr Morrison said four or five refugees will be resettled in Cambodia in the early stages, but only time will tell how many refugees will make the move.

"And it'll be based on the success of the program over time. And of course it's a voluntary program," he said.

He said it was a long-term agreement and Cambodia would determine how many refugees it would accept.

"You have to start off small, make sure the program is working and then build it up over time," he said.

"We're not rushing this - it's important we get the arrangements right. There are many challenges in running a resettlement program here, we know that."

The arrangement was likely to start either late this year or early next year, Mr Morrison said, and he expected it would continue for many years.

"The next step is now to put the arrangements on the ground, and there's still a lot of implementation work to be done in engaging with other settlement partners, those who provide those services directly here in Cambodia," he said.

"We've got a lot of experience in that area and we've been already having those discussions and we're very optimistic about the way that's proceeding.

"They [Cambodia] are committed to this program. This is a long-term arrangement and it's one we're both very committed to."

Champagne at signing was customary, Morrison says

Mr Morrison said refugees who chose to go to Cambodia would be housed in the general community and would receive language training before they left Nauru.

"There is support around transitional housing, there's support around education and health and matters such as that - language training and assistance with acclimatising to life here in Cambodia," he said.

"A lot of that work will probably start in Nauru, where people have the opportunity to engage in language training before they even come here."

Overnight, Amnesty International called the deal "a new low in Australia's deplorable and inhumane treatment of asylum seekers".

"In January the Australian Government condemned Cambodia's human rights record at a UN human rights hearing, but will now relocate vulnerable refugees, possibly including children, to the country," spokesman Rupert Abbott said.

The United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) said it was "deeply concerned" by the precedent the deal set.

"This is a worrying departure from international norms," commissioner Antonio Guterres said.

The deal was sealed with glasses of champagne and Mr Morrison said he thought it was appropriate.

"This is standard protocol here in Cambodia," he said. "I wasn't about to offend my hosts."

15yo asylum seeker on Nauru attempts suicide: advocate group

The Refugee Action Coalition said detainees on Nauru are continuing to protest against the Government's recent changes to asylum seeker policies.

In addition to signing the deal with Cambodia, the Government said this week it expects to pass legislation to give certain refugees in Australia and on Christmas Island temporary protection visas.

But the coalition's spokesman, Ian Rintoul, said the asylum seekers on Nauru have been robbed of hope.

"People who came by boat, on the same boat as them, actually will end up getting refugee status one way or another in Australia that's going to be denied to them," he said.

"So the fundamental discrimination is actually driving and is going to continue driving protests certainly over the next few days."

Meanwhile, the Refugee Action Collective said a 15-year-old female asylum seeker on Nauru attempted suicide after learning she could be resettled in Cambodia.

The Federal Government confirmed a 15-year-old girl has been transferred from Nauru to Australia for medical treatment.

The collective's spokesman Mark Gillespie said the girl's action was in direct response to the announcement.

"She attempted suicide immediately after watching Scott Morrison's video saying that the deal that he's done with Clive Palmer does not apply to the people on Nauru, that they will continue to stay there in limbo or get forced to go to Cambodia," Mr Gillespie said.