Struggling Australian island state to admit new residents from immigrant communities
The Australian government has entered into a controversial agreement with the island state of Nauru, located in the South Pacific, for the resettlement of hundreds of migrants. This deal could cost the Australian government up to 2.5 billion Australian dollars (1.4 billion euros) over a potential 30-year period.
Nauru, a phosphate rock atoll, was once one of the wealthiest countries in the world by GDP per capita after its independence from Australia in 1968, thanks to unusually rich phosphate deposits. However, these deposits have been exhausted, and 80 percent of the island has become uninhabitable due to mining. The little land that Nauru has left is severely threatened by sea-level rise due to human-induced climate change.
The agreement covers 354 people who do not have a residence permit in Australia and cannot be deported to any other country. The implementation of this agreement is uncertain, and the deal is met with controversy. In February, the government paid an unknown sum to the former Australian-administered island to take in three convicted criminals, raising concerns about the resettlement of potentially dangerous individuals.
The final decision on whether to take in all 354 migrants, including some convicted criminals, rests with the government of Nauru. The island state, with a population of approximately 12,500 people, has a total area of just 21 square kilometers, making it one of the smallest countries in the world.
In 2023, a court ruling declared indefinite detention as illegal, leading to the release of 220 people. The future of these individuals, along with the other migrants, remains uncertain as they await Nauru's final decision regarding their settlement.
The history of Nauru dates back to 1888, when it was a German colony until World War I. Since then, it has faced numerous challenges, from the depletion of its phosphate resources to the ongoing struggle to accommodate its growing population and the resettlement of migrants. As the world watches, the future of Nauru and its people continues to unfold.
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