Overview

• Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke signed a memorandum of understanding in Nauru on August 29 to transfer non-citizens without valid visas, with Nauru to issue long-term visas.
• The agreement includes A$408 million upfront once the first transfers occur and about A$70 million annually thereafter, according to multiple reports.
• The plan targets several hundred people released after the 2023 ruling on indefinite detention, a group that includes some individuals with serious criminal convictions.
• The government has introduced legislation to enable third-country removals and curtail last-minute procedural hurdles, while insisting core visa decision reviews remain unchanged.
• Refugee advocates, human-rights bodies, and the Greens condemned the deal citing prior UN findings about Nauru, as parts of the opposition voiced support and further legal challenges are anticipated.