JUBA, April 9 (Xinhua) -- South Sudan on Monday urged the Australian government to rescind the recent decision not to host any more refugees from countries like South Sudan, Somalia and Iran.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Mawien Makol urged Australian officials to continue hosting refugees from South Sudan after they were excluded from the community support program, which is an element of Australia's broader humanitarian migration program.
"We don't want to talk about Australia's national interest but refugee status should not be discriminatory. I think refugees are protected by international law including South Sudanese," Makol said in Juba.
South Sudanese in the past benefited from the Australian resettlement scheme which is offering this year up to 1,000 places taken from within the broader program of 16,250 places.
The program which was previously the Community Proposal Pilot started in 2013 and will now focus only on eight countries in which community groups, businesses, families or individuals are allowed to sponsor and support a refugee to come to Australia.
The beneficiaries under the ongoing program include Syrian and Iraqi (women, children and families located in Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey), Myanmar (Karen and Chin in Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia), Afghans only in Pakistan, Bhutanese in Nepal, Congolese in Kenya, Malawi, Uganda and Zambia, Ethiopians in Kenya and Eritreans only in Ethiopia.
Makol disclosed that although they don't have strong diplomatic relations with Australia, he hopes South Sudanese and other affected people are allowed to stay in Australia.
"We don't have strong diplomatic relations with Australia but we wish South Sudanese be given chance to stay as refugees," Makol said.
South Sudan descended into violence in December 2013 after President Salva Kiir sacked his former deputy Riek Machar, leading to fighting between mostly Dinka ethnic soldiers loyal to Kiir and ethnic Nuer soldiers loyal to Machar.
The violence has killed tens of thousands leaving four million people living as refugees in neighboring countries.
The efforts by regional leaders to revive the 2015 peace agreement shattered in the wake of renewed violence in July 2016 are yet to bear fruit as they have been indefinitely suspended after the warring parties failed to make headway.