Page 21 - IB October 2021

Refugee Processing Refugee Processing

voluntarily transfer to Nauru.” Meanwhile, the Morrison gov- billions of dollars to push responsibility for processing and re-
ernment continues to spurn an offer from New Zealand Prime settlement onto its Pacific neighbours. This led to widespread
Minister Jacinda Ardern to resettle 150 refugees a year from criticism – from within and outside government – about the
Australia’s offshore system. waste and inefficiency of efforts to rapidly relocate thousands
of people to these isolated camps.
Nauru camps A 2016 Australian National Audit Office report found “serious
The first Nauru detention camps established in 2001 were and persistent deficiencies” in contracting, benefitting Austra-
closed in March 2008, following the election victory of ALP lian and international companies such as Transfield, Serco and
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd. But following a surge of boat arriv- Canstruct. As ANAO diplomatically noted in the audit report:
als from Indonesia, with desperate asylum seekers drowning “The Australian Government intended that these procurement
at sea, the Julia Gillard government reintroduced the offshore processes would rein in the growing expense associated with
processing of asylum seekers in September 2012. managing the centres. In both cases, the approach adopted by
The latest change of policy for Papua New Guinea comes the department did not facilitate such an outcome.”
after the Australian and Nauruan governments signed an
MOU in September, to establish an enduring regional process- Human costs
ing capability in Nauru. This is the latest in a series of MOUs Above all, the last twenty years of the “Pacific Solution” has
between the two countries over the last 20 years on manage- led to massive human cost for the asylum seekers as well as
ment of the detention centres. the host communities. Refugees have faced significant mental
After 2001, these MOUs set out clear requirements that had health trauma, and lengthy battles with Australian authorities
to be met if Nauru was to continue receiving aid under the to obtain permission to travel for specialist medical treat-
refugee program. These included a study on the privatisation ment.
of the RONTEL telecommunications authority and the “phased During a visit to Nauru in 2018, I spoke with a young refu-
introduction of a broader user-pays system for power ser- gee, who was desperate for resettlement to a third country,
vices.” The 2005 MOU set out requirements for changes to the saying: “Please, this island makes us crazy.” At the same
public sector, explaining that ongoing aid was conditional on time, a young Nauruan man told me: “I was a child when the
job losses and wage cuts for Nauruan public servants (de- asylum seekers came. I was really pleased. I thought I could
scribed in the MOU as “implementation of the public sector learn something about another culture. Now, I hate them.
reform strategy, resulting in implementation of an affordable They are always attacking my country, criticising my leaders. I
scale of salary payments and design of a strategy for a sub- wish they would leave.”
stantial reduction in the size of the Nauru public service)”. As of 31 July, there were 107 people still on Nauru, many
Parallel to the RAMSI intervention in Solomon Islands, the languishing for years without hope of resettlement. Now, with
Pacific Islands Forum launched the Pacific Regional Assistance an enduring offshore processing program, young Nauruans will
to Nauru (PRAN) in 2004. Under PRAN, the post of Nauru continue to grow up coping with Australia’s refugee policy.
Secretary of Foreign Affairs and Trade was held by the former As Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews has emphasised:
Forum Deputy Secretary General. Australian Treasury offi- “Australia’s strong border protection policies – including
cial Peter Depta took up the position of Nauru Secretary for regional processing – have not changed. Anyone who attempts
Finance in July 2004. All Nauru government expenditure was to enter Australia illegally by boat will be returned, or sent to
managed by an Australian-led finance team in the Nauru Min- Nauru.”
istry of Finance until 2010, with staff seconded from Canberra
serving as Secretary, Economic Advisor and Budget Advisor. nicmaclellan@optusnet.com.au
Over twenty years, the Australian government has spent

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Islands Business, October 2021 21