Australia begins secretive $2.5 billion deportation deal with Nauru

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: The Guardian
28 Oct 2025 14:24

Australia begins deporting members of the NZYQ cohort to Nauru under a secretive $2.5 billion, 30-year deal.

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Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese attends the 20th East Asia Summit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on October 27, 2025. (AP)

Australia has officially begun implementing its controversial $2.5 billion agreement with Nauru to deport members of the so-called NZYQ cohort, following confirmation that the first individual arrived on the Pacific island last week, The Guardian reported.

Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke confirmed that Nauruan authorities had notified Canberra of the arrival on Friday, triggering the release of the first annual installment of AU$408 million under the 30-year deal.

“When someone’s visa is cancelled, they should leave,” Burke said in a brief statement.

The identity and circumstances of the deported man remain undisclosed.

30-year agreement with Nauru

Under the arrangement, Australia will be able to apply for long-term 30-year visas on behalf of individuals in the NZYQ cohort, facilitating their permanent removal from Australian territory.

About AU$20 million from the initial payment will go directly to Nauru’s government to support settlement logistics, while the remaining AU$388 million will be deposited into a joint sovereign trust fund administered by representatives from both Canberra and Nauru.

Nauru will receive an additional AU$70 million annually, bringing the total value of the agreement to more than AU$2.5 billion over three decades. However, the precise terms of the deal remain secret, protected under a public interest immunity claim.

According to Australian officials, those sent to Nauru, including refugees recognized under international law, will be permitted to live freely within the island community and cannot be transferred elsewhere, avoiding the risk of “chain refoulement.”

A former regional processing center, previously operated by Australia and later handed to Nauru, may serve as temporary accommodation, though its current condition is unknown. The deal also includes “clawback” clauses allowing Canberra to reclaim funds if Nauru fails to fulfill its obligations.

The NZYQ ruling

In November 2023, Australia’s High Court ruled that it is unconstitutional to indefinitely detain non-citizens when their deportation is not reasonably possible. The case, NZYQ v Minister for Immigration, was brought by a stateless Rohingya man held for years with no prospect of removal.

The ruling forced the release of over 140 long-term detainees, now referred to as the “NZYQ cohort”, many of whom had completed prison sentences but could not be deported. The decision sparked a political storm, prompting the government to pass emergency laws imposing strict supervision and curfews on the released individuals.

With the launch of the new agreement with Nauru’s government, Canberra has effectively begun transferring members of the NZYQ cohort offshore, using the arrangement as a legal workaround to sidestep the High Court ruling and offload the issue.

Human rights concerns

Rights advocates have condemned the deportations as a grave violation of humanitarian principles. The Human Rights Law Centre’s associate legal director, Laura John, said the process reflects a “complete disregard” for the basic rights of refugees and migrants.

“We do not know if the person who has been exiled has left family behind in Australia, whether they need medical care that is unavailable in Nauru, or even if they still had visa appeal options in Australia,” John said.

“This secrecy is not an accident. It is a deliberate tool wielded by the Albanese government to ensure that it does not have to grapple with the real, human consequences of its actions,” she explained.

John emphasized that many of those targeted for deportation have spent years in Australia, some of them stateless or suffering from serious health conditions.

'A nightmare' for detainees

One detainee, identified only as Adnan, told Guardian Australia that he was taken in a nighttime raid by Border Force officials earlier this year and informed that he was being sent to Nauru, a country he had never heard of before.

“These days are like living in a nightmare,” he said through his lawyer.

“I have tried everything to put my life back on track. I am not a young man; I cannot keep rebuilding my life. I do not know why Australia has selected me for this terrible punishment.”

The deportations follow the NZYQ ruling by Australia’s High Court, which struck down indefinite immigration detention, prompting the release and redetention of dozens of non-citizens.

With Canberra’s secrecy surrounding the agreement and growing criticism from rights groups, the first transfer to Nauru marks a renewed chapter in Australia’s decades-long offshore detention policy, one that human rights advocates warn will inflict “lifelong suffering” on vulnerable individuals.