Australia and Malaysia sign refugee swap agreement

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Source: BBC News

Australian and Malaysian officials have signed a controversial deal intended to stem the flow of asylum seekers travelling to Australia by boat.

The deal involves Australia sending 800 asylum seekers to Malaysia, in exchange for 4,000 registered refugees.

The plan has met strong objections from opposition politicians in both countries and human rights groups.

Asylum seekers already in Australian detentions centres have held protests against the deal for several days.

Read more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-14271460