The federal government is facing pressure to pause the deportation of former immigration detainees to Nauru, following concerns a resettlement deal with the Pacific nation could be breaching Australia’s international obligations.
Australia has committed $408 million to resettle the hundreds of former immigration detainees in Nauru, known as the NZYQ cohort, some of whom are convicted criminals.
Nauru’s intentions regarding a particular group of asylum seekers have become clearer, with President David Adeang indicating a desire to repatriate them to their countries of origin. Adeang asserts that these individuals do not qualify as refugees.
On Monday evening, Senators David Pocock and David Shoebridge read an independently translated version of Adeang’s February interview explaining the deal, inside the Senate chamber. The translated version was provided by the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre (ASRC).
Shoebridge said Adeang’s remarks spark concerns about the safety of those sent to the island and further demonstrated why the Nauru deal continues to be shrouded in secrecy.
“We know that there are multiple refugees in this cohort, and the Nauruan president is saying to his people that none of the people being forcibly deported are refugees,” he told reporters.
“Australia bears a fundamental responsibility to ensure these individuals are not sent back to any nation where they might suffer persecution,” President Adeang emphasized.
The stance of Nauru’s leadership on the NZYQ group has been detailed in an interview, suggesting they do not meet the criteria for refugee status. This revelation was reported by AAP’s Dominic Giannini.
A translation of the interview has been described as the “most explicit indication of Nauru’s objectives,” pushing the Australian government to reconsider an agreement that might result in sending people to environments of intentional and severe mistreatment, potentially breaching international commitments.
Upon defying a Senate order to produce a translation, Foreign Minister Penny Wong argued it was contrary to public interest and “could reasonably be expected to prejudice Australia’s international relations”, including Australia’s standing in the region.
Last month, it was a speech by Adeang that confirmed Nauru had accepted the first cohort of deportees from Australia, with the exact number unclear.
ASRC head of advocacy Ogy Simic thanked the senators for reading the translation, stating the “secrecy and corruption” of the deal needed to be closely examined.
“It’s now time for a royal commission into offshore processing,” he told reporters.
“At very least, the government needs to be very closely examined about what’s happening on Nauru.”
– With additional reporting by Australian Associated Press.
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