Australia Agrees to $400m Contract for Transferring Foreign-Born Ex-Detainees to Nauru | Politics in Australia

The Australian government has entered into a $400m agreement with Nauru, allowing for the deportation of foreign-born individuals whose visas have been revoked on character grounds. This memorandum of understanding, agreed upon by Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke and Nauru’s President David Adeang, will see Australia providing financial support to Nauru, including an upfront fee and an annual payment of approximately $70m. The agreement concerns the ‘NZYQ cohort,’ a group of noncitizens who were previously at risk of indefinite immigration detention due to the inability to deport them to their home countries. In November 2023, the High Court ruled against the indefinite detention of individuals without a “real prospect” of removal from the country, prompting the release of the cohort into the Australian community. Burke argued that the agreement ensures proper treatment and long-term residence of those without legal rights to remain in Australia and supports Nauru’s economic resilience. Critics like Greens Senator David Shoebridge denounced the move, arguing that it demonstrates a lack of respect for Australia’s Pacific partners and could lead to Nauru becoming a modern-day prison. This new deal follows an earlier agreement to resettle three violent offenders from the NZYQ cohort in Nauru, where they were granted 30-year visas. In response to concerns over procedural fairness in deportation cases, the federal government has proposed legislation to exclude such considerations for noncitizens facing deportation. Burrke justified this move as necessary to prevent delays and frustrations in the removal process. The Senate rejected a call for an inquiry into the legislation, with Shoebridge labeling it a significant attack on multicultural Australia.

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/aug/30/australia-signs-400m-deal-to-deport-foreign-born-former-detainees-to-nauru