Angelina Jolie has accepted an invitation from Nauru’s government to visit the country, according to reports from Radio New Zealand.
The network is reporting that the actress, advocate and UN refugee convoy and goodwill ambassador accepted the invitation from Nauru president Baron Waqa, during the Global Summit to End Sexual Violence Against Women in Conflict while in London last month.
In a statement, the government said Jolie’s visit would be an opportunity to showcase the facilities for refugees in Nauru, which is home to Australia’s controversial detention centre.
Australian Immigration Minister Scott Morrison said Jolie’s visit was a matter for the Nauru government and not Australia.
“Who visits Nauru is a matter for the Nauruan government, so I’ll leave that to my colleagues in Nauru,” he said.
According to ABC news, the UNHCR last year criticised living conditions in the Nauru centre as “rat-infested, cramped and very hot” and has been critical of Australia’s policies toward asylum seeker processing.
The date of Jolie’s visit have yet to be confirmed.
Update 15 July: A spokesperson for Angelina Jolie has told Fairfax media that the actress has no plans to visit the island and her diary is full for the next 12 months.