The Republic of Nauru Photo: AFP
The Australian government's confirmation that 11 "unauthorised maritime arrivals" have been sent to Nauru for regional processing has all been shrouded in secrecy, a refugee advocate says.
Last month, The Guardian reported that a group of asylum seekers who had attempted to arrive in Australia by boat were intercepted in September and taken to Nauru.
Refugee Action Coalition spokesperson Ian Rintoul told RNZ Pacific the Australian Labour government refuses to address questions on the issue.
"It's all very secretive because the government, like the Labour government, like the previous Morrison, government is really refusing to answer very many direct questions," Ian Rintoul said.
Refugee Action Coalition spokesperson Ian Rintoul. Photo: Supplied/ Ian Rintoul
This, just months after the Australian government evacuated the last refugee it was holding on Nauru under its controversial off-shore detention processing policy for more than a decade.
"The Australian Government remains committed to an enduring regional processing capability in Nauru as a key pillar of Operation Sovereign Borders," a Home Affiars Department spokesperson said.
The department said on 23 October 2023 it gave evidence to the Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee that 11 unauthorised maritime arrivals (UMAs) were transferred to the Republic of Nauru for regional processing.
"For privacy reasons, the Department does not provide details of the cohort," it said.
While that is the extent to which the government would go in disclosing information however, Rintoul said understood that the asylum seekers were Tamil.
"We now know that amongst those 11 is a mother and her 17 year old son," Rintould said.
He said it was "disappointing" that the whole architecture of Operation Sovereign Borders is still being used.
"The real tragedy has been that the Labour government remains committed to spending hundreds of millions of dollars to keep Nauru open as a functional detention center," Rintould said.
He said it was just "inevitable" that at some point people would be intercepted and would be taken to Nauru.
Rintoul's top concern now is whether the 11 asylum seekers are going to be allowed to make a refugee application.
A view of a dwelling at refugee Camp Four on the Pacific island of Nauru. (file photo) Photo: AFP or licensors