SYDNEY: Australia is expected to pass a new law on Thursday that simplifies the deportation of non-citizens to third countries.
Human rights groups have criticised the move as “dumping” refugees onto small island states and compared it to Trump administration policies.
The United States is currently seeking Pacific Island nations willing to accept deported non-citizens.
Australia signed an agreement with Nauru last Friday to resettle hundreds of individuals denied refugee visas due to criminal convictions.
The new legislation removes procedural fairness requirements when deporting non-citizens to third countries.
It aims to limit court appeals according to government statements.
The opposition Liberal Party has announced its support ensuring the law’s passage through parliament.
Australia will provide an upfront payment of 400 million Australian dollars to establish an endowment fund for the resettlement scheme.
Nauru will receive an additional 70 million Australian dollars annually in operational costs.
Nauruan President David Adeang confirmed these financial arrangements in his budget speech last Friday.
Two-thirds of Nauru’s revenue last year came from hosting an Australian-funded asylum seeker processing centre.
This amounted to 200 million Australian dollars for the small island nation.
Nauru has a population of 12,000 people and covers just 21 square kilometres of land area.
The country relies heavily on foreign aid and faces a 2025 deadline to repay 43 million Australian dollars to Taiwan.
This debt obligation follows Nauru’s diplomatic switch from Taiwan to Beijing.
Australia’s decade-old policy sends asylum seekers arriving by boat to offshore detention centres for refugee assessment.
This practice denies them Australian visas and has drawn criticism from the United Nations Human Rights Committee.
The new Nauru resettlement scheme targets a different group whose visas were cancelled due to prison sentences or character grounds.
These individuals cannot return to countries including Iran, Myanmar and Iraq due to persecution risks.
Australia’s High Court ruled indefinite immigration detention unlawful in 2023 resulting in approximately 350 non-citizens being released into the community.
One third of these individuals remain subject to electronic monitoring.
A 65-year-old Iraqi man from this group lost his High Court appeal against deportation to Nauru on Wednesday.
Law Council of Australia President Juliana Warner called the deportation law troubling due to healthcare access concerns.
She noted the legislation is being rushed through parliament without proper public scrutiny.
Several independent lawmakers expressed concern about potential wider application beyond the 350 released detainees.
They estimate up to 80,000 people currently living in Australia without visas could be affected.
Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke declined to comment on the 80,000 figure while defending the law as necessary for migration system integrity.
Asylum Seeker Resource Centre deputy chief executive Jana Favero described the move as absolutely Trump-like.
Independent lawmaker Monique Ryan warned parliament about stateless individuals and refugees without criminal convictions being sent offshore without oversight.
She stated Australia is using a small island nation as a dumping ground. – Reuters
