SYDNEY: Rights teams on Monday (Feb 17) denounced an Australian plan to ship three violent overseas criminals – together with a assassin – to reside on the tiny Pacific nation of Nauru.
Canberra mentioned on Sunday it had paid an undisclosed sum to Nauru – inhabitants about 13,000 – in return for it issuing 30-year visas to the trio, who misplaced their Australian visas resulting from legal exercise.
“There must be consideration of the lawfulness of banishing individuals offshore once they’ve been dwelling as a part of our group,” mentioned Jane Favero, deputy chief government of the Asylum Seeker Useful resource Centre.
“It is a full disregard of individuals’s human rights.”
Dwelling Affairs Minister Tony Burke mentioned the three could be held in immigration detention till they’re placed on a flight to Nauru or a authorized problem is lodged.
“When any individual has come and handled Australia in a approach that has proven appalling character their visas do get cancelled, and when their visas are cancelled they need to go away,” Burke advised reporters.
“All three, although, are violent offenders. One is a assassin,” he mentioned.
As soon as in Nauru, they’d reside in particular person dwellings with a shared kitchen area and be allowed to work and transfer freely, Burke added.
Authorities haven’t disclosed the identities, gender or nationalities of the trio, or mentioned whether or not they had served sentences for his or her crimes.
Nauru is among the world’s smallest international locations with a mainland measuring simply 20 sq km.
Phosphate mining as soon as made Nauru one of many world’s richest international locations per capita, however that boon has lengthy dried up, leaving a lot of the mainland a barren moonscape and its individuals going through excessive unemployment and well being points.
Australia’s authorities has been looking for a strategy to cope with migrants who don’t have any different nation to go to when their visas are cancelled.
