Nauru may seek to return refugees from the NZYQ cohort to their home countries, the Nauruan president has said in a new translation of a February interview that has been the subject of months-long controversy.<\/p>\n
David Adeang\u2019s interview erroneously claimed those being sent to Nauru were not refugees and said Nauru may seek to return them to their countries of origin where possible.<\/p>\n
Guardian Australia has confirmed members of the NZYQ group have had refugee protection claims recognised by Australia. It is understood some of the men already transferred to Nauru are among those who are refugees.<\/p>\n
The Guardian has previously reported a partial transcript<\/a>, which was corroborated by the full transcript read into Hansard by senators David Pocock and David Shoebridge late on Monday.<\/p>\n The translation read into Hansard was not the Australian government\u2019s document, but an independently sourced and verified translation obtained by the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre.<\/p>\n The Australian government has consistently resisted disclosure of its translation of the interview, including winning a non-publication order over its document in the federal court.<\/p>\n Sign up: AU Breaking News email<\/a><\/p>\n Responding to a Senate order to produce the official translation, the foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, wrote that its publication would \u201cprejudice Australia\u2019s international relations \u2026 and our broader standing in the Pacific\u201d.<\/p>\n At least five members of the NZYQ cohort have been forcibly removed to Nauru and are being held at a regional processing centre on the Pacific island.<\/p>\n Australian is legally obliged to protect refugees under the refugees convention, and cannot return them to their home country where they face a \u201cwell-founded fear of being persecuted\u201d.<\/p>\n Even if that return is made through a third country \u2013 such as Nauru \u2013 it is unlawful, known in international law as \u201cchain refoulement\u201d.<\/p>\n Nauru is also a party to the convention.<\/p>\n Adeang granted the interview in February, speaking in Nauruan to a government staff member, and explaining the new agreement Nauru had signed with Australia to accept members of the NZYQ cohort.<\/p>\n The deal will see Australia pay Nauru up to $2.5bn<\/a> over three decades.<\/p>\n Adeang said those removed to Nauru by Australia would stay on the island for 30 years.<\/p>\n \u201cUnless of course, we, your government, find a way for them to move around, for example; they get to go home,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cThe problem now is, Australia cannot return them home, these people are what you would refer to as stateless.<\/p>\n \u201cTheir homelands do not want them and they do not have a way to go home. And if over time we find a way to return them home then of course they will not reach the 30 years, but the visa we are providing them to start is 30 years.\u201d<\/p>\n The Guardian understands none of the men sent to Nauru under the new agreement so far are stateless.<\/p>\n Adeang repeatedly said \u2013 incorrectly \u2013 that members of the NZYQ cohort were not refugees.<\/p>\n \u201cTo clarify, these people are not refugees. They are regular people but their background or their history is that they have been to jail.<\/p>\n \u201cThese days, they are free to roam around Australia and while they are no longer under penalties but they are not of that place and despite Australia\u2019s preference to send them home, they are unable to.\u201d<\/p>\n skip past newsletter promotion<\/a><\/p>\n Sign up to Breaking News Australia<\/p>\n Get the most important news as it breaks<\/p>\n Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain information about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. If you do not have an account, we will create a guest account for you on theguardian.com<\/a> to send you this newsletter. You can complete full registration at any time. For more information about how we use your data see our Privacy Policy<\/a>. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google Privacy Policy<\/a> and Terms of Service<\/a> apply.<\/p>\n after newsletter promotion<\/p>\n