More Refugees Arrive in Australia From Nauru
Media Release - DPS 82/2002
The Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs has confirmed that 32 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 seven adult men, eight adult women and 17 children arrived in Brisbane and Melbourne.
All members of the group, which includes 28 Iraqis and four Afghans, have family members already residing in Queensland and Victoria.
"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 281 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 who arrived overnight 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 973 people remaining in offshore processing centres, comprising 871 on Nauru and 102 on Manus.
23 October 2002
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