Nauru a Dumping Ground? Australia’s Shocking Plan to Deport Thousands Sparks Outrage!

Australia is preparing to pass a new law on Thursday that will make it easier to deport non-citizens to third countries. The move has drawn heavy criticism from human rights groups, who say the country is “dumping” refugees in small island nations. Some critics have also compared it to former U.S. President Donald Trump’s immigration policies.

The U.S. has been looking for Pacific Island nations willing to accept deported migrants. Meanwhile, Australia recently signed an agreement with Nauru to relocate hundreds of people denied refugee visas due to criminal convictions.

Australia Softens Deportation Rules Amid Condemnation

The new law would reduce legal protections for deportees by removing the right to challenge decisions in court. The government said it was designed to limit lengthy appeals. The opposition Liberal Party has promised to support the legislation, which means it is almost certain to pass in parliament.

As part of the deal, Australia will give Nauru A$400 million upfront to create an endowment fund for the resettlement program, plus A$70 million each year to cover ongoing costs. Nauru’s President David Adeang revealed this in a budget speech. The island is heavily dependent on foreign aid. Last year, two-thirds of its national income, about A$200 million, came from hosting an Australian-funded offshore processing centre for asylum seekers.

Nauru, which has only 12,000 people and a land area of 21 square km, is also under financial pressure. It owes Taiwan A$43 million, due in 2025, after switching diplomatic ties to China.

In 2023, Australia’s High Court ruled that indefinite detention of migrants was unlawful. Around 350 people were released into the community, with about one-third placed under electronic monitoring. One of them, a 65-year-old Iraqi man, recently lost his High Court appeal against deportation to Nauru.

Why Australia Sends Its Assylum Seekers to Nauru?

Australia has maintained a policy of sending asylum seekers arriving by boat to detention centers that are built in Nauru or Papua New Guinea. The United Nations has always condemned this step, which Australia has been following for more than a decade. But this time, the new Nauru scheme is aimed at a different group: all the people whose visas were cancelled because they were once prisoners, or were not granted visas due to flaws in character. Reports say these people does not want to go back to countries such as Myanmar, Iran, or Iraq because they could be persecuted.

Legal experts and some independent lawmakers have warned that the new law could affect far more people than the initial 350. They estimate up to 80,000 people in Australia without visas could be targeted. The Law Council of Australia said the policy was troubling, especially because deportees might not get proper healthcare in Nauru.

Independent lawmaker Monique Ryan said she feared even stateless individuals and innocent refugees could be sent offshore without oversight. Critics argue that Australia is once again using a small island nation as a “dumping ground” for unwanted migrants.

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