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13h ago

Australia Sends First NZYQ Cohort Member to Nauru Under Secretive 30-Year Deal

The transfer activates a $408 million first payment under a largely undisclosed resettlement pact.

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 disclosing how many people were moved.
  • The payment structure includes $20 million for immediate set‑up and $388 million into a jointly managed trust, with up to $70 million a year thereafter and a reported total exceeding $2.5 billion over three decades.
  • Those sent are expected to receive 30‑year visas allowing them to live and work in Nauru and to leave and re‑enter, with Burke saying he inspected facilities and found standards good.
  • Human rights groups and the Greens criticized the plan over secrecy and potential chain refoulement risks, as the memorandum’s details are withheld under a public interest immunity claim.
  • The cohort numbers roughly 300–360 people released after a 2023 High Court ruling on indefinite detention, with more than a dozen later re‑detained and some transfers slowed by legal challenges.