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Australia to deport violent criminals to remote Pacific atoll

Australia already pays Nauru, a nation of 13,000 people, to house its unwanted asylum seekers who arrive by boat

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A beach on the remote Pacific atoll of Nauru. Photo: AFP
Associated Press
Australia will soon deport three violent criminals including a convicted murderer to Nauru even though they are not citizens of the tiny Pacific atoll, after an Australian court ruled that dangerous immigrants can no longer be imprisoned indefinitely.

Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said on Sunday that three “violent offenders” had been issued 30-year Nauru visas on Saturday.

Opposition leader Peter Dutton said on Monday that more than 200 immigrants with criminal records who could not be deported would remain in Australia despite the Nauru deal.

“The government’s claiming they’re going to get rid of three criminals, but there’ll still be more than 200 left,” Dutton told reporters.

Nauru’s President David Adeang was due to give a statement to local news outlets on Monday about “new arrangements with Australia on the resettling of non-citizens”, according to a post on the government’s Facebook page on Sunday.

Nauru’s President David Adeang (left) shakes hands with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese during a meeting in Canberra in December. Photo: AAP Image via AP
Nauru’s President David Adeang (left) shakes hands with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese during a meeting in Canberra in December. Photo: AAP Image via AP

The statement was not available online on Monday afternoon and Adeang’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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