Australia Begins Deporting Non-Citizens to Nauru
The first group of individuals considered non-citizens by Australia has been deported to Nauru following a new multimillion-dollar resettlement agreement between both nations. The deal was signed last week by Nauru’s President David Adeang and Australia’s Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke.
Refugee advocates reported that at least three men have already been removed, with eight others currently detained for deportation. This action follows a memorandum of understanding reached in August, under which about 350 people—identified as the NZYQ cohort—are expected to be affected.
Media reports suggest the agreement involves payments totaling $2.5 billion to the Pacific Island nation over the next 30 years. Official details remain classified.
"As soon as Nauru issues the visa for the person, the visa is cancelled, and they're able to be re-detained," said Refugee Action Coalition spokesperson Ian Rintoul. "People are being picked up at three or four o'clock in the morning for the purposes of being re-detained, some of them with only a week's notice of removal to Nauru."
Process and Implementation
The deportation process begins when Nauru issues visas to individuals selected under the agreement. Once that happens, Australian authorities cancel their existing visas and detain them, frequently during early morning hours.
Background on the NZYQ Group
The targeted cohort, referred to as NZYQ, includes around 350 people whose residency statuses have been disputed by Australian authorities. Many of them have been living in Australia under temporary visas.
Confidentiality and Criticism
While the Australian government keeps the full terms of the deal undisclosed, refugee advocacy groups have raised concerns about transparency and human rights implications of these nocturnal detentions and deportations.
Author’s summary: Australia has begun deporting hundreds of non-citizens to Nauru under a secretive $2.5 billion agreement, sparking concern among refugee advocates about process fairness and human rights.