Nauru is preparing for the arrival of a group of noncitizens being transferred from Australia under a 30-year deal, with local sources expressing concern over a potentially hostile reception. The group, known as the NZYQ cohort, consists of 354 individuals who were previously held in indefinite immigration detention in Australia after their visas were cancelled on character grounds. The Australian government has described them as 'violent' and 'appalling', which has fuelled resentment among Nauruans.
The Home Affairs Department revealed on Wednesday that the deal, signed recently, includes an upfront payment of $408 million to Nauru, with annual payments of $70 million. Over the 30-year lifespan of the agreement, Australia is forecast to spend $2.5 billion. Nauru, a small island nation of 11,000 people, is heavily dependent on Australian aid, and many residents work for the government.
Local sources, speaking anonymously due to the lack of independent media and fear of criticism, voiced their unease. 'We wish the government didn't do this to us, but we just have to accept it,' one said. Another added, 'People are worried here. Nobody asks us where they will live or if they will work. It will be very difficult for them to go shopping or to the hospital because everyone will know who they are.'
Mohammad, an asylum seeker who has been on Nauru for over a year, noted that the NZYQ cohort's reputation precedes them. 'The government has told everybody these people are criminals, dangerous. That is not fair; they have come from a very hard situation,' he said. He recounted a local man angrily asking why their government was taking money to bring such people to Nauru.
The transfer follows a November 2023 High Court ruling that indefinite detention was unlawful if there was no prospect of removal. Nauruan President David Adeang defended the deal earlier this year, stating that those being sent had 'served their time' and that repatriation remained the long-term goal. However, Nauruans remain divided, with some online comments decrying the country being used as a 'dumping ground' or 'prison island' by Australia.
