Australia Faces Backlash Over Plan to Deport Violent Offenders to Nauru

Advocates and rights groups criticize the government's decision to resettle three non-citizens with criminal records on the Pacific island nation.

The Australian government plans to deport three violent non-citizens, including a convicted murderer, to Nauru under 30-year resettlement visas.
This decision follows a 2023 High Court ruling that indefinite immigration detention is unlawful, leading to the release of over 200 individuals from detention.
Rights groups and refugee advocates are preparing urgent legal challenges, arguing the policy violates human rights and sets a dangerous precedent.
The deportation arrangement is separate from a $140 million defense and budgetary support agreement signed between Australia and Nauru in December 2024.
Critics, including opposition leaders and former immigration officials, have condemned the plan as inhumane and politically motivated, citing Nauru's limited resources and history with offshore detention policies.