SYDNEY
Australia is expected to pass a law on Thursday making it easier to deport non-citizens to third countries, reviving criticism from human rights groups that it was “dumping” refugees in small island states and drawing comparisons with Trump policies.
As the United States seeks Pacific Island nations willing to accept deported non-citizens, Australia last Friday signed a deal with Nauru to resettle hundreds of people who have been denied refugee visas because of criminal convictions.
The planned new law removes procedural fairness when Australia deports a non-citizen to a third country and is designed to limit court appeals, said the government. It is expected to pass in Australia’s parliament after the opposition Liberal Party said it would support the move.
Australia will pay an upfront A$400 million to establish an endowment fund for the resettlement scheme, plus A$70 million a year in costs, Nauruan President David Adeang said in a budget speech last Friday.
Two-thirds of Nauru’s revenue last year, or A$200 million ($129.96 million), came from hosting an Australian-funded processing center for asylum seekers.
