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3w ago

First NZYQ Deportee Sent to Nauru, Triggering A$408 Million Payout

Critics question a secret 30-year resettlement deal expected to cost about A$2.5 billion.

The Parliament House building of the small island nation of Nauru is pictured, February 10, 2012. REUTERS/Rod Henshaw
The remote atoll of Nauru has agreed to resettle a cohort of immigrants from Australia under a secretive deal.
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The first cohort of NZYQ deportees has arrived in Nauru, under a removal pathway expected to cost taxpayers $2.5 billion.

Overview

  • Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said Nauru confirmed the first transfer on Friday, without revealing how many people were moved.
  • The confirmation activated an upfront A$408 million payment, including A$20 million immediately available and A$388 million placed in a jointly managed trust.
  • Over 30 years the arrangement is projected to total roughly A$2.5 billion, with additional annual payments of up to A$70 million depending on transfer numbers.
  • Under the plan, NZYQ cohort members are expected to receive 30-year Nauruan visas to live and work on the island, following the 2023 High Court ruling against indefinite detention.
  • Australia’s Human Rights Commissioner and advocacy groups flagged serious human rights and transparency concerns as the government withholds the MOU and refused to release an internal translation of a Nauruan interview discussing the deal.