Thread: Rights groups slam Australian plan to transfer criminals to Nauru

Rights groups on Monday (Feb 17) denounced an Australian plan to send three violent foreign criminals - including a murderer - to live on the tiny Pacific nation of Nauru.


Canberra said on Sunday it had paid an undisclosed sum to Nauru - population about 13,000 - in return for it issuing 30-year visas to the trio, who lost their Australian visas due to criminal activity.

"There has to be consideration of the lawfulness of banishing people offshore when they've been living as part of our community," said Jane Favero, deputy chief executive of the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre.


"It's a complete disregard of people's human rights."


Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said the three would be held in immigration detention until they are put on a flight to Nauru or a legal challenge is lodged.


"When somebody has come and treated Australia in a way that has shown appalling character their visas do get cancelled, and when their visas are cancelled they should leave," Burke told reporters.


"All three, though, are violent offenders. One is a murderer," he said.

Once in Nauru, they would live in individual dwellings with a shared kitchen space and be allowed to work and move freely, Burke added.


Authorities have not disclosed the identities, gender or nationalities of the trio, or said whether they had served sentences for their crimes.


Nauru is one of the world's smallest countries with a mainland measuring just 20 sq km.


Phosphate mining once made Nauru one of the world's richest countries per capita, but that boon has long dried up, leaving much of the mainland a barren moonscape and its people facing high unemployment and health issues.


Australia's government has been searching for a way to deal with migrants who have no other country to go to when their visas are cancelled.

"MENTAL DAMAGE"


The High Court ruled in 2023 that indefinite detention was "unlawful" if deportation was not an option, leading to the release of 220 people in that situation, including the three now destined for Nauru.


Burke said any decision to transfer others to the Pacific island would depend on the Nauru government.


Refugee Council of Australia head Paul Power said the government had a duty to ensure any solution was humane and ensured people's rights and dignity.


"History has shown us the deep mental and physical damage indefinite detention on Nauru has caused," he said.

Under a hardline policy introduced in 2012, Australia sent thousands of migrants attempting to reach the country by boat to "offshore processing" centres.


They were held in two detention centres - one on Nauru and another, since shuttered, on Papua New Guinea's Manus Island.


The scheme was gradually scaled back following 14 detainee deaths, multiple suicide attempts, and at least six referrals to the International Criminal Court.


Nauru still held 87 people as of Aug 31, 2024, according to latest Australian government figures.

Rights groups slam Australian plan to transfer criminals to Nauru - CNA

I don’t understand. Why are the criminals not sent to their own countries? Why send them to a third country?

Because

Australia's government has been searching for a way to deal with migrants who have no other country to go to when their visas are cancelled.

If it was good enough for the British…

More info here.

Australia to deport criminals to offshore immigration site following court decision

AUSTRALIA will deport three criminals to Nauru even though they are not citizens of the Pacific island nation under a scheme to offshore immigrants.
The move follows a court ruling that dangerous immigrants can no longer be detained indefinitely.


Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said on Sunday that three “violent offenders” had been issued 30-year Nauru visas.


Nauru’s President David Adeang was due to give a statement today about “new arrangements with Australia on the resettling of non-citizens,” according to a post on the government’s Facebook page on Sunday.


But no official details were available by mid-afternoon.


The Australian High Court ruled in 2023 that immigrants who fail Australia’s character test — typically due to criminal activity — cannot be detained indefinitely if they cannot be deported.


This decision led to the release of over 200 immigrants from detention, some of whom have since reoffended and been reimprisoned.


The government said they could not be deported as countries including Afghanistan are considered unsafe for their nationals to be repatriated.


The issue has damaged the government’s popularity and elections are due by May 17.


Refugee Action Coalition director Ian Rintoul said the three men facing deportation had been assigned lawyers on Monday and intended to challenge their removal in court.


The men include an Iraqi and an Iranian, while the third’s nationality is unclear.


Australia pays Nauru, a nation of 13,000 people, to house asylum-seekers who attempt to reach its shores by boat.


Mr Rintoul said almost 100 asylum-seekers who remain Australia’s responsibility are in Nauru waiting to be resettled.


The Australian government has not disclosed how much it is paying Nauru to accept the three criminals, nor why they were chosen.


Mr Burke suggested that more non-deportable immigrants could be sent to Nauru in the future.

Australia to deport criminals to offshore immigration site following court decision | Morning Star

Originally Posted by misskit

I don’t understand. Why are the criminals not sent to their own countries? Why send them to a third country?

Er....

The government said they could not be deported as countries including Afghanistan are considered unsafe for their nationals to be repatriated.

Whatever countries they are, I think they're quite safe, they're missing three violent criminals including a murderer.

So send the fuckers home.

The crims might commit serious crimes in Nauru. I'm glad I don't live there.

Ive been to Nauru. There’s not much there.

Cripes, you get around.