The federal government is facing pressure to pause the deportation of former immigration detainees to Nauru, following concerns a resettlement deal with the Pacific nation could be breaching Australia's international obligations.
Australia has committed $408 million to resettle the hundreds of former immigration detainees in Nauru, known as the NZYQ cohort, some of whom are convicted criminals.
It was understood that the cohort would be granted visas in Nauru and live among the local population of 12,000, as part of the 30-year agreement expected to cost Australia $70 million annually.
However, it appears Nauru may seek to return the cohort to their home countries where possible, with Nauru's President David Adeang claiming they are not refugees.
On Monday evening, Senators David Pocock and David Shoebridge read an independently translated version of Adeang's February interview explaining the deal, inside the Senate chamber. The translated version was provided by the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre (ASRC).
Shoebridge said Adeang's remarks spark concerns about the safety of those sent to the island and further demonstrated why the Nauru deal continues to be shrouded in secrecy.
"We know that there are multiple refugees in this cohort, and the Nauruan president is saying to his people that none of the people being forcibly deported are refugees," he told reporters.
"Australia has an absolute obligation to ensure that they aren't returned to a country where they face a proven risk of persecution."
Nauru President David Adeang does not consider the NZYQ cohort refugees, a translation of an interview has revealed. Source: AAP / Dominic Giannini
"There needs to be an immediate pause on sending any further people to Nauru, while we know that Nauru has a clear intention to refoul them," he said.
Under the Refugee Convention, Australia has an obligation to not send people considered refugees back to their country if they may face violence and persecution there. The principle is known as non-refoulement.
Adeang also devoted much of the interview to assuring Nauruans they will not be threatened by arrivals with criminal histories.
Translations of what Adeang said have been previously suppressed from the public, both by the Federal Court and the High Court. Both the Australian and Nauruan governments have refused to provide an official translation of the interview in the little-spoken language.
Upon defying a Senate order to produce a translation, Foreign Minister Penny Wong argued it was contrary to public interest and "could reasonably be expected to prejudice Australia's international relations", including Australia's standing in the region.
Last month, it was a speech by Adeang that confirmed Nauru had accepted the first cohort of deportees from Australia, with the exact number unclear.
ASRC head of advocacy Ogy Simic thanked the senators for reading the translation, stating the "secrecy and corruption" of the deal needed to be closely examined.
"It's now time for a royal commission into offshore processing," he told reporters.
"At very least, the government needs to be very closely examined about what's happening on Nauru."
- With additional reporting by Australian Associated Press.
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