When the new deal was publicly announced, the Nauruan president posted an interview online, explaining the arrangement to his country. That version has never been disputed by either the Australian or Nauruan governments. Responding to a demand from the Australian Senate, the government refused to release the translation it acknowledges it holds. This is an alarming level of secrecy, but not a novel position when it comes to Australia’s tenacious offshore policy. If Australia’s offshore processing regime is as uncontroversial as the government insists, why is nobody allowed to see it, to interrogate it?

Source: The Guardian November 21, 2025 23:31 UTC