Australia has quietly struck a £1.2billion deal with a tiny Pacific Island to deport foreign-born criminals. Under the deal signed on Friday, Australia will be allowed to deport criminals without Australian citizenship over a period of three decades to Nauru, the third-smallest country in the world, in a controversial move to deter small boat crossings.
Critics expressed concern that Nauru could become a “dumping ground” and blasted the move for replicating Britain’s approach in the 18th and 19th centuries, when it sent criminals to Australia to empty overcrowded prisons. Australia already deports asylum seekers who arrive on small boats to Nauru; however, the latest move under Anthony Albanese’s Labour government will see Nauru resettle people who have been denied refugee visas because of their convictions.
It followed Australia’s top court ruling in 2023 that immigration centres could no longer house foreign-born criminals indefinitely after they had served their sentences.
Stateless individuals or those who come from countries that did not cooperate with Australia could not be deported.
Australia will begin visa application processes for Nauru “on a rolling basis commencing fairly soon”, a home affairs official said on Wednesday. Australian officials said accommodation for the first deportees was already prepared.
The centre-left government hopes the resettling scheme will deter more people attempting small boat crossings.
However, Human Rights Watch claimed asylum seekers previously transferred to Nauru by Australia had suffered medical neglect, and this law would mean Australia could deport people without them having any idea of their plans.
Critics also questioned where the wealth had gone from the hundreds of millions of dollars Australia had already paid to process asylum seekers. Of its tiny population of 12,000, figures suggest about one in four people live below the basic needs poverty line.
David Shoebridge, a Greens senator, said Mr Albanese’s government was treating Nauru “as a dumping ground”, adding: “Nauru is a tiny island with almost no economy.”
Nauru will receive £200million as an endowment, followed by an annual payment of £35million for 30 years, totalling £1.2billion. If Nauru does not accept as many deportees, Australia will be able to halt the funds.
Locals told Reuters of their mixed feelings. “It is an easy money grab,” said one business owner, who remained anonymous due to government sensitivities around criticising the deal. “We’ve had all sorts of people come through here, from war-torn countries or poverty. Locals are robust.”
