In 2012, then-PM Julia Gillard, who was born in Barry, South Wales, announced the government would resume offshore processing. Instead of being admitted to Australia while their claims were assessed, migrants were intercepted at sea and sent to offshore camps on Papua New Guinea's Manus Island and the tiny Pacific republic of Nauru. Defending the policy, the Australian government said the risk of being sent to a camp in the South Pacific was a powerful deterrent stopping migrants attempting the perilous voyage on rickety fishing boats from Indonesia. Australia agreed in 2016 to close the detention centres after striking a resettlement deal with then US President Barack Obama. Last month, it was reported a group of nearly 200 refugees on Nauru who had medical transfers or resettlement requests approved since 2019 still remained on the island.

Source: Daily Mirror October 01, 2020 18:44 UTC