Danish MPs refused Nauru visit

Three Danish politicians have been refused a visit to Australian detention centres in Nauru by the Pacific island nation.

Asylum seekers arrive in Nauru from a plane from Christmas Island

Three Danish MPs say Nauru has blocked them from visiting an Australian detention centre. (AAP)

Three Danish MPs say Nauru has blocked them from taking part in a visit to a detention centre where Australia sends asylum-seekers.

Johanne Schmidt-Nielsen, Jacob Mark and Naser Khader were scheduled to go on a two-day visit to the Pacific island nation of Nauru with other members of the Danish Parliament's Immigration Committee.

Schmidt-Nielsen suggested on Tuesday on Facebook that she and Mark were blocked because they are left-wing lawmakers who have criticised Australia's offshore asylum detention policy.

She said it's anyone's guess why Khader, "without having criticised Nauru or Australia", was also excluded.

Khader, a conservative politician originally from Syria, wrote in a separate Facebook post that he had no idea why he was blocked and "hope it doesn't have anything to do with my name and place of birth".


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Published 31 August 2016 9:10am
Source: AAP


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