SYDNEY: Australia has started ferrying immigrants to the barren Pacific nation of Nauru under a contentious deal inked this year, Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said on Tuesday.

A cohort of around 350 immigrants—many of them convicted of serious crimes including assault, drug smuggling, and even murder—could eventually be sent to the low-lying atoll after Australia failed to resettle them elsewhere.

“Nauru confirmed last Friday that the first transfer had occurred,” Burke said in a statement.

Burke did not detail how many immigrants had been sent to Nauru.

For years, the group languished inside Australia’s immigration detention system after their visas were cancelled for violent crimes or because officials held other concerns.

Australia was unable to deport them back home because they faced grave risks, such as war or religious persecution.

A landmark High Court ruling in 2023 found it was unlawful for Australia to detain the cohort indefinitely because there was nowhere to send them.

Facing a sharp political backlash as they were released from detention into the community, Australia turned to Pacific neighbour Nauru for help.

Published in Dawn, October 29th, 2025