SYDNEY, Oct 28 — Australia has begun transferring a group of immigrants to Nauru under a controversial multi-million dollar agreement signed earlier this year, Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke confirmed on Tuesday.
SYDNEY, Oct 28 — Australia has begun transferring a group of immigrants to Nauru under a controversial multi-million dollar agreement signed earlier this year, Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke confirmed on Tuesday.
Around 350 immigrants — many with convictions for serious crimes such as assault, drug trafficking, and even murder — could eventually be sent to the remote Pacific island after Australia failed to resettle them in other countries.
“Nauru confirmed last Friday that the first transfer had taken place,” Burke said in a statement, without specifying how many individuals were relocated.
For years, the group had remained in Australia’s immigration detention system after their visas were revoked due to violent offences or other concerns. However, the government was unable to deport them to their home countries because of the potential risks they faced, including war or religious persecution.
A landmark High Court ruling in 2023 declared it unlawful to detain them indefinitely when no viable resettlement option existed.
Amid growing political pressure following their release into the community, Australia turned to Nauru for assistance. Under the confidential deal, Canberra will reportedly pay the island nation hundreds of millions of dollars to accept the group.
In return, Nauru has agreed to issue long-term visas and allow the immigrants to live freely among its 12,500 residents.
Australia’s offshore detention policy has long been criticised internationally, particularly for its use of “processing” centres in Nauru and Papua New Guinea — facilities often described as harsh and inhumane.
Although the policy has been scaled back in recent years, it has been linked to 14 deaths, multiple suicide attempts, and several cases referred to the International Criminal Court.
As of January this year, about 100 people remained in Nauru’s detention centre, according to UN data cited by Amnesty International.
Once one of the world’s wealthiest nations per capita due to phosphate mining, Nauru is now left with a scarred and depleted landscape. — AFP
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