Mr Dutton on Friday confirmed Australia had had talks with a "number of bilateral partners" including the Philippines to reach a regional solution on the issue. Foreign Affairs Minister Julie Bishop discussed a possible deal with her Philippine counterpart at the United Nations last month. Credit:Craig Ruttle "I am not going to publicly comment in relation to where some of the negotiations are at," he said.

"I think we're best to discuss those issues in private with those partners and if there is an announcement to make we can announce it." Fairfax Media understands the Coalition government began discussions for a deal with the Philippines under the leadership of former prime minister Tony Abbott. The deal was first reported by News Corp on Thursday, citing Foreign Minister Julie Bishop as saying: "The governments of Australia and the Philippines have long co-operated on irregular migration, people smuggling and human trafficking.

"These issues are important to both countries, and to the region." A similar deal to resettle refugees in Cambodia resulted in just four refugees from Nauru choosing to live there. Credit:Kevin Ponniah Ms Bishop raised the matter with her Philippine counterpart at the United Nations in New York but no final agreement has been struck or signed. A senior source told Fairfax Media the talks are still only at an "in-principle" level and expressed fear that the leaking to the media could put the whole deal in jeopardy. Refugee advocates are certain to criticise the idea and accuse the Australian government of absconding its duty to asylum seekers who are a fleeing persecution.

The Philippines is one of only three south-east Asian states that have signed the 1951 Refugee Convention. However it is one of the world's poorest nations with more than 27 per cent of the population living in poverty on a per capita income of less than A$504 a year. Violent crime is widespread throughout the island nation. The Australian government's smartraveller.gov.au advisory warns Australians to exercise a "high degree of caution" because of the high threat of a terrorist attack and the high level of crime. "Violent crime is a significant problem in the Philippines," it says.

Currently, asylum seekers who come by boat are sent to offshore detention camps on Nauru and Papua New Guinea for processing of their protection claims and resettlement. But there are fears for the safety of refugees attempting to begin a new life in both countries, following allegations of rapes against Somali women on Nauru and the death of Reza Barati inside the detention camp on Manus Island. But the Coalition and Labor argue that permanent resettlement must be denied to any asylum seeker who arrives by boat to discourage them from travelling to Australia in dangerous leaky boats, chartered by people smugglers. Australia's previous attempt to reach agreement with Malaysia collapsed partly because Kuala Lumpur had not signed the Refugee Convention and lacked a legislative and administrative framework to formally address refugee issues. However, Australia's negotiations with the Philippines to resettle refugees will have to be negotiated in a politically-charged environment ahead of national elections in the country in May. Philippine president Benigno Aquino said in early September - at the height of the refugee crisis in Europe - that his country would like to do more to help refugees.

But he said with limited resources and millions of Filipinos living in poverty "the Philippines could only do so much". Offering at the time to help some conflict-stricken refugees from Syria, Mr Aquino said the Philippines has a history of aiding refugees, including taking in 1200 Vietnamese boat people in the 1970s and 1200 European Jewish refugees who were saved from Hitler's Nazi Germany during the Holocaust. "The history is there, the culture is there," he said. "We just want to make sure that we manage it properly, that we don't take in more than we can handle…a vast majority of our people are still living in poverty." Follow us on Twitter Follow Latika Bourke on Facebook