The Australian government has agreed to pay the Pacific island nation of Nauru $1.6 billion over the next three decades to resettle up to 354 former detainees who have “no legal right to remain in Australia”.
This deal has sparked controversy and concern among human rights groups and independent senators. The agreement, signed last week, includes an initial payment of $267 million and annual payments of $46 million thereafter.
Clare Sharp, head of immigration from the Department of Home Affairs, defended the deal, stating, “it’s in both nations’ interest to move through this as efficiently as we can. It’s in Nauru’s interest, because money doesn’t flow until people arrive.”
However, critics argue that this deal could put thousands of lives at risk. Jana Favero, deputy CEO of the Melbourne-based Asylum Seeker Resource Centre, described the deal as “discriminatory, disgraceful and dangerous,” adding that the broad wording could enable many thousands of people to be deported from Australia.
The deal has raised concerns about the potential for human rights abuses and the impact on the deportees. Favero warned, “that’s tens of thousands of lives at risk – not the tiny number the government would have Australians believe.”
Australian immigration officials acknowledged that there are no guarantees all 354 people, including some convicted of serious crimes, will be deported to Nauru, with the Pacific island making the final decision.
Nauru’s President David Adeang said the agreement would “support Nauru’s long-term economic resilience”.
However, the island nation’s history of offshore detention has been marred by controversy.
In January, the United Nations Human Rights Committee found Australia’s offshore policy had violated two provisions of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights – one on arbitrary detention and one protecting the right to challenge detention in court.
Nauru, with a population of 12,500 and a land area of just 21 square kilometers, is one of the world’s smallest countries.
The island nation has turned to migration-related schemes to revive its economy, which historically relied on phosphate exports.
However, 80% of Nauru has been rendered uninhabitable by mining. The country is also vulnerable to climate change, with rising sea levels posing an existential threat to its very existence.
In recent years, Nauru has introduced an Economic and Climate Resilience Citizenship Programme, offering citizenship and passports for a minimum investment of $105,000.
The government hopes to raise tens of millions of dollars in annual revenue from this program, which would help the island nation adapt to rising sea levels.
The deal between Australia and Nauru has significant implications for both countries. For Australia, it provides a solution to deal with immigrants who have no other country to go to when their visas are cancelled.
However, critics argue that this deal undermines human rights and sets a dangerous precedent. For Nauru, the deal provides much-needed revenue and economic support, but it also raises concerns about the potential impact on the country’s infrastructure and social fabric.
As the deal comes into effect, it remains to be seen how it will be implemented and what the consequences will be for both countries. One thing is certain, however – the deal has sparked a heated debate about human rights, immigration, and the responsibilities of nations towards each other.