Australia will expel the refugees he does not want on the smallest island country in the world

Australia on Thursday adopted a law that allows the faster deportation of foreign citizens to third countries, opening the way for sending on the small Pacific island of Nauru of hundreds of refugees who have been denied visas due to criminal convictions, reports Reuters.

Based on a 30 -year agreement signed with Nauru last Friday, Australia agreed to pay Australian $ 2.5 billion (about 1.62 billion US) to host up to 350 expelled people.

The initial contribution of the Australian government will be $ 400 million, for setting up a equipment fund for the relocation scheme. Australia will later pay $ 70 million every year.

On Nauru, an island with a population of 12,000 inhabitants, businessmen and social workers who spoke with Reuters by phone have said that they have opinions divided on the establishment on the 21 km² island of several hundred people with criminal records, in a place with poor medical services and infrastructure.

In relation to the surface, Nauru is the third smallest country in the world, after the Vatican and Monaco, and the smallest island country in the world.

What do Nauru's residents say about the agreement

“It is an easy way to make money,” said a businessman, refusing to give his name because of the Government's sensitivity in Nauru to the criticisms of agreement. He hopes, however, that the money will be used to build a local economy.

“We had all kinds of people around here, coming from countries affected by war or poverty. The locals are resistant,” he added.

Another resident of Nauru said that the hospital and other infrastructures on the island are in a bad condition, and the locals travel abroad for medical services when they allow themselves.

She states that, despite the fact that Australia has spent hundreds of millions of dollars to process the asylum seekers over the last decade, the money has not benefits the local population.

On the social networks “there was a mixed emotional reaction”, people waiting to see who will come, said another businessman.

Critics in Australia and from human rights organizations

In the Parliament of Australia, Senator David Shoebridge on Thursday criticized the new law, designed to accelerate the expulsion of people who have been canceled or refused. He accused the center-left government of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese of treating Nauru “as a place to throw human waste.”

“Nauru is a tiny island, with almost no economy,” he said.

The government said that the new law eliminates the procedural equity guarantees for the persons expelled to a third country, limiting them the possibility to make additional appeals through the courts.

Human Rights Watch said the law allows Australia to expel people without informing about plans, mentioning that asylum seekers previously transferred by Australia suffered due to medical negligence.

Nauru will be able to decide what people that Australia wants to expel will accept, although the funds can be recovered by Australia if the scheme does not meet expectations.