Refugees Arrive in Australia from Nauru
Media Release - DPS 81/2002
The Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs has confirmed that 40 refugees from the immigration processing centre on Nauru arrived in Australia overnight.
The arrival is in line with the Australian Government's commitment to take its fair share of people who are residing in the offshore processing centres in Nauru and Papua New Guinea and who are found to be refugees.
The group comprising 12 adult men, 11 adult women and 17 children arrived in Sydney. Some will remain in New South Wales, while others have transited to Victoria.
All members of the group have family members already residing in Australia.
"The resettlement of further refugees from the offshore processing
centres is under consideration by the Department and other countries,"
a departmental spokesperson said.
"These arrivals mean 249 people have now been resettled in
Australia from the offshore processing centres."
A number of countries have indicated a willingness to consider cases for resettlement. New Zealand has already resettled 194 people from Nauru and Papua New Guinea and eight people have been transferred to Sweden.
Further movements to Australia and other countries are expected over the next few months.
All of the refugees have been granted secondary movement visas.
"These visas are available to people who have abandoned or by-passed effective protection in a country of first asylum and travelled to another country to seek a preferred migration option," the spokesperson said.
There are now 1,005 people remaining in offshore processing centres, comprising 903 on Nauru and 102 on Manus.
16 October 2002
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