Australia will pay the Pacific island nation of Nauru to permanently resettle foreign-born criminals who cannot be deported or imprisoned indefinitely, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese confirmed Monday. The deal follows a 2023 High Court ruling that struck down Australia’s practice of holding such individuals in indefinite immigration detention.
Albanese declined to confirm reports that Canberra would provide an upfront payment of AU$400 million ($262 million) and AU$70 million ($46 million) annually to Nauru to sustain the arrangement. “People who have no right to be here need to be found somewhere to go, if they can’t go home,” the prime minister told ABC. “If they can’t be sent back to their country of origin because of refoulement provisions… then we need to find another country for them to go to.”
Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke signed the memorandum of understanding with Nauruan President David Adeang on Friday. Adeang stated Sunday that the deal ensures “the proper treatment and long-term residence of people who have no legal right to stay in Australia.” Funding from Australia, he added, will also bolster Nauru’s economic resilience.
The plan will activate once Nauru receives its first transferees, who will be granted long-term visas. The Asylum Seeker Resource Center said Nauru is expected to issue 280 visas, though new legislation in Australia could broaden the scope dramatically. Advocacy groups warn that as many as 80,000 individuals could face deportation under the plan.
The arrangement stems from the NZYQ case, in which a Rohingya man convicted of child rape challenged his indefinite detention and won release. More than 200 non-deportable migrants have since been freed, with several reoffending. Officials acknowledge complexities remain, including legal appeals by deportees.
