The Nauru Regional Processing Centre is an offshore Australian immigration detention facility that has been in use from 2001 to 2008, from 2012 to 2019, and from September 2021. It is located on the South Pacific island nation of Nauru and run by the government thereof with support from the Australian government. The use of immigration detention facilities is part of a policy of mandatory detention in Australia.
The Nauru facility was first opened in 2001 as part of the Howard government's Pacific Solution. The centre was suspended in 2008 to fulfil an election promise by the Rudd government, but was reopened in August 2012 by the Gillard government after a large increase in the number of maritime arrivals by asylum seekers and pressure from the opposition led by Tony Abbott. It was reclosed in 2019 before reopening for a second time in September 2021. Current Coalition and Labor Party policy states that because all detainees attempted to reach Australia by boat, they will never be settled in Australia, even though many of the asylum seekers detained on the island have been assessed as genuine refugees.
The highest population at the centre was 1,233 detainees in August 2014. As of 7 September 2023, there were 11 people in the detention centre.
Timeline 2001-2008: Establishment and First Closure In September 2001, the Parliament of Australia passed two amendments to the Migration Act 1958 which allowed Australia to excise Christmas, Ashmore, Cartier and Cocos (Keeling) Islands from its migration zone. This brought the Pacific Solution into effect, which meant that "any unlawful non-citizen attempting to enter Australia via one of these islands was now prevented from making a valid application for a protection visa and claim refugee status". The only exception was if the Minister for Immigration determined that such an action was in "the public interest".
The establishment of an offshore processing centre on Nauru was based on a Statement of Principles, signed on 10 September 2001, by the then President of Nauru René Harris, and Australia's Minister for Defence at the time, Peter Reith. The statement opened the way to establish a detention centre for up to 800 people and was accompanied by a pledge of , equivalent to in , for development activities. Initial plans were for asylum seekers to be housed in modern, air-conditioned housing which had been built for the games of the International Weightlifting Federation. This plan was changed after landowners' requests for extra compensation were rejected. Two camps were built. The first camp, called Topside, was at an old sports ground and oval in the Meneng District (). The second camp, called State House, was on the site of the old Presidential quarters also in the Meneng District (). The Topside camp remained empty and was being maintained on a contingency basis.
The initial detainees were to be people rescued by , with the understanding that they would leave Nauru by May 2002. The processing facility in Nauru was established on 19 September 2001, managed and operated by The International Organization for Migration (IOM), with the arrival of majority of the 433 asylum seekers, 283, rescued during the Tampa affair and also a group of unauthorised arrivals who were found at Ashmore Island. The opening of the processing centre revatlised Nauru's struggling economy, generating A$5.5 million of the island’s total estimated GDP in 2001 of A$28.5 million. A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed on 11 December, boosting accommodation to 1,200 and the promised development activity by an additional .
By January 2002, there were a total of 1,118 asylum seekers in detention on Nauru. A month-long hunger strike began on 10 December 2003. It included mostly Hazara from Afghanistan rescued during the Tampa affair, who were protesting for a review of their cases. Between 2001 and 2004, 19 babies born at the centre. By 2005, 54 people were detained in Nauru as asylum seekers. In September 2006, a group of eight Burmese Rohingya men were transferred to the centre from Christmas Island.(30 September 2006) Samantha Hawley. Burmese asylum seekers likely to achieve refugee status . AM. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 29 July 2013. The last two asylum seekers from the original group of arrivals in 2001 left Nauru in August 2006 and February 2007. The last one, an Iraqi, was accepted by Sweden in February 2007. On 15 March 2007, the Australian Government announced that 82 Tamils from Sri Lanka would be transferred from Christmas Island to the Nauru detention centre. They arrived in Nauru by the end of the month.
In December 2007, newly elected Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd announced that his country would no longer make use of the Nauru detention centre, and would put an immediate end to the Pacific Solution. The last remaining Burmese and some of the Sri Lankan detainees were granted residency rights in Australia the same month.« Pacific solution ends but tough stance to remain » , Craig Skehan, Sydney Morning Herald, 8 December 2007« Burmese detainees granted asylum » , Cath Hart, The Australian, 10 December 2007 Nauru reacted with concern at the prospect of potentially losing much-needed aid from Australia, which could also lead to an economic collapse of the nation.« Nauru fears gap when camps close » , The Age, 11 December 2007
On 8 February 2008, Minister for Immigration and Citizenship Chris Evans issued a press release stating that the Australian Government had started discussions with Nauru about closing the centre. The last of the detainees, 21 Sri Lankans, arrived in Australia the same and day and were resettled. Evans also stated, "The Pacific Solution was a cynical, costly and ultimately unsuccessful exercise introduced on the eve of a federal election by the Howard Government." This marked a formal end to the Pacific Solution and closure of the detention centre on Nauru. The move was welcomed by the UN Refugee Agency. Opposition immigration spokesman Chris Ellison said the closure could suggest to people-smugglers that Australia was weakening on border protection.
The press release also outlined that the Department of Immigration and Citizenship had spent A$289 million between September 2001 and June 2007 to run the Nauru and Manus offshore processing facilities. The use of both the facilities was suspended and asylum claims of future unauthorised boat arrivals were to be processed on a new immigration detention centre built on Christmas Island. A total of 1,322 refugees, mostly Afghans and Iraqis, were processed in the facility on Nauru prior to its closure in 2008. Majority of these refugees were resettled in Australia.
Nauru caseloads (2001-2008) Nationality Resettled refugee Resettled non-refugee Returned voluntarily Deceased Total 329 36 420 1 786 3 3 rowspan=7 6 2 1 16 19 327 37 24 388 7 1 8 1 1 6 8 19 19 84 4 88 Total 769 78 474 1 1,322
2012-2020: Reopening and Second Closure In August 2012, the Australian Labor government led by Prime Minister Julia Gillard announced the resumption of the transfer of asylum seekers arriving by boat in Australia to Nauru and Manus. Australia signed an initial memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Nauru on 29 August 2012. The first group arrived the following month.Grubel, James Australia reopens asylum detention in Nauru tent city 14 September 2012 Reuters Retrieved 10 October 2015 The reopening of the centres sparked criticism of the Australian government after the United Nations refused to assist the government with the mandatory measures.(24 August 2012) Ben Packham. UN won't work with Labor on asylum-seeker processing on Nauru and Manus Island . The Australian. News Limited. Retrieved 29 July 2013. In November 2012, an Amnesty International team visited the camp and described it as "a human rights catastrophe [...] a toxic mix of uncertainty, unlawful detention and inhumane conditions". The MoU between Nauru and Australia was renegotiated, signed and entered into force on 3 August 2013. Clause 12 of the 2013 MoU allowed for resettlement of refugees in Nauru:
On 19 July 2013, a riot occurred at the detention centre and caused damages valued at (equivalent to in ). Police and guards had rocks and sticks thrown at them. Four people were hospitalised with minor injuries, while others were treated for bruising and cuts. The riot began at 3pm local time when the detainees staged a protest. Retrieved 19 July 2013. Up to 200 detainees escaped and about 60 were held overnight at the island's police station. Several vehicles and buildings including accommodation blocks for up to 600 people, offices, dining room, and the health centre were destroyed by fire, equating to about 80 percent of the centre's buildings. Retrieved 20 July 2013. 129 of 545 male detainees were identified as being involved in the rioting and were detained in the police watch house.
In August 2014, the population at the centre reached 1,233 detainees. A number of detainees were returned to their countries of origin, including Iraq and Iran. In October 2015, Nauru declared that the asylum seekers housed in the detention centre now had freedom of movement around the island. Given reports that three women had been raped and numerous other assaults had taken place against asylum seekers, it was reported that this might actually increase the amount of danger to them.Allard, Tom Nauru's move to open its detention centre makes it "more dangerous" for asylum seekers October 9, 2015 Sydney Morning Herald Retrieved 10 October 2015
In November 2016, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull announced that Australia had made a deal with the US to resettle people in detention on Nauru and Manus.; Andrew & Renata Kaldor Centre for International Refugee Law, Factsheet: Australia–United States Resettlement Arrangement , Retrieved 28 February 2017. However, little information was made public on how many of the refugees would be resettled by the US. Initial reports estimated that up to 1,250 refugees would be resettled.Stephanie Anderson and Julie Doyle, 'Nauru and Manus Island refugees yet to be vetted under US-Australia deal' , ABC News, 27 March 2017. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull indicated that the priority was "very much on the most vulnerable",Stephanie Anderson, Francis Keany, 'Malcolm Turnbull, Peter Dutton announce refugee resettlement deal with US ', ABC News, 13 November 2016. particularly families on Nauru. On 27 February 2017, the Australian Department of Immigration and Border Protection told a Senate estimates committee that preliminary screening had started as part of the resettlement deal, but officials from the United States Department of Homeland Security had not yet been authorised to start formally vetting applicants.
By November 2018, 430 refugees from Nauru had been resettled in the United States, but hopes of the United States taking more had faded. Although New Zealand had repeatedly offered to take 150 per year, the Australian Government refused. There were still 23 children on the island, as the government had bowed to public pressure and started removing families with children, after reports of suicidal behaviour and resignation syndrome had emerged.