21 Refugees Arrive in Australia from Nauru
Media Release - DPS 83/2002
The Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs has confirmed that 21 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 six adult men, four adult women and 11 children arrived in Brisbane last night.
It is expected that all members of the group, which includes 18 Iraqis and three Afghans, will live with family members already residing in New South Wales, Victoria and Western 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 bring to 302 the number of people who have been transferred to Australia from the offshore processing centres."
A number of countries have indicated a willingness to consider cases for resettlement. New Zealand has already resettled 202 people from Nauru and Papua New Guinea and eight people have been resettled in Sweden.
Further movements to Australia and other countries are expected over the coming 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 944 people remaining in offshore processing centres, comprising 842 on Nauru and 102 on Manus.
30 October 2002
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