MELBOURNE, Australia — Australia is set to deport three individuals, including a man convicted of murder, to Nauru, despite their non-citizen status. This decision follows a ruling by an Australian court declaring that dangerous immigrants could no longer be held indefinitely in detention. On Saturday, Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke announced that these three “violent offenders” have been granted 30-year visas for Nauru.
On the following day, Peter Dutton, the opposition leader, pointed out that over 200 criminals who cannot be deported will remain in Australia, despite the government’s claims of deporting three individuals. Dutton emphasized that while the government is attempting to showcase the removal of three offenders, there are still significant numbers left in the country. “The government’s claiming they’re going to get rid of three criminals, but there’ll still be more than 200 left,” he informed journalists.
Nauru’s President David Adeang was expected to address local media regarding “new arrangements with Australia on the resettling of non-citizens.” However, no statements were available online as of Monday afternoon, and Adeang’s office did not respond to inquiries for further information.
The recent developments stem from a 2023 ruling by the Australian High Court that nullified the policy of indefinitely detaining immigrants who fail Australia’s character test, often due to criminal activity. The government explained that some of these individuals could not be forcibly deported.
Certain countries, such as Afghanistan, have been deemed dangerous for nationals to return, while Iran has refused to accept individuals not repatriating voluntarily. The case that led to the ruling involved an individual from Myanmar’s Rohingya Muslim community known in court as NZYQ. After being brought to Australia in a smuggler’s boat in 2012, NZYQ committed a serious crime shortly after his release and faced indefinite detention post-sentence until the court case granted him his freedom.
The outcome of the NZYQ case resulted in over 200 immigrants, who could not be sent back to their home countries, being released. Some of these individuals have since reoffended and returned to prison, prompting criticism from opposition leaders regarding the government’s failure to ensure public safety. This issue has negatively impacted the government’s standing, especially with elections approaching by May 17.
In a recent twist, Ian Rintoul, director of the Refugee Action Coalition in Sydney, disclosed that the three men facing deportation to Nauru have sought legal assistance. They intend to contest their deportations in court. Among them, one individual is Iraqi, another is Iranian, although Rintoul was uncertain about the nationality of the third, whom he did not believe to be NZYQ.
Australia compensates Nauru, a small nation with a population of approximately 13,000, for housing asylum seekers attempting to reach Australian shores via boat. The Australian government has nearly ceased the arrival of asylum seekers from Southeast Asia by barring those who arrive by boat from resettlement.
Rintoul noted that nearly 100 asylum seekers remain in Nauru waiting for resettlement, which Australia is responsible for. When questioned about the financial terms of the agreement with Nauru regarding the relocation of the three criminals, Burke refrained from disclosing specifics but confirmed that Nauru had selected them for transfer. He also indicated that additional immigrants who cannot be deported may be sent to Nauru in the future.
