Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) Australia is deeply saddened by reports that the first deportation to Nauru has taken place under the Albanese Government’s new offshore detention deal. 

We join our fellow human rights organisations condemning this deportation – and the deal at large – as ‘a shameful breach of Australia’s values of fairness, equality and justice’. 

For people seeking asylum in our community, this is news that continues to cause deep fear and uncertainty. While the Government suggests this deal will only impact some migrants and refugees from the “NZYQ” cohort, we know it came into effect alongside laws that have much broader application. 

These laws have given the Government the power to deport people without due notice or consideration of the potential risks to their health, wellbeing, or potential for further persecution.  

Read our statement on the passing of these laws earlier in September. 

At this stage, we do not know the individual who is now being held on Nauru. We do not know if they have access to legal support, or if they will be able to get in contact with their family or friends here in Australia.  

We do know from decades of experience what deportation to Nauru could mean: family separation, prolonged isolation, inadequate access to healthcare and psychosocial support, and the constant threat of further harm or refoulement.  

We work alongside people in our community today who are still impacted by their time in detention, and we hold serious concerns for anyone who is now facing similar conditions in Nauru. 

Offshore detention has caused immeasurable and unnecessary suffering. To revive it today is to choose to perpetuate cruel, secretive policies that punish people for seeking safety.  

The lack of transparency surrounding this multi-billion-dollar offshore deal also deepens our concern. 

There has been no clarity about how decisions are being made, who is affected, or how the rights and safety of people will be protected. No one should be exiled in secrecy, without an opportunity to be heard, and without consideration of the impact on their lives. 

“This deportation represents a profound betrayal of the values we see lived out every day in our communities,” said Fr. Brett O’Neill, S.J., Country Director of JRS Australia.  

“Australians believe in giving everyone a fair go, looking after your neighbours, and respecting the rule of law. Sending people to Nauru does the opposite: it undermines the principles of fairness and humanity that should guide our national response to those seeking safety.”  

We call on the Albanese Government to: 

• Immediately halt all deportations to Nauru; 

• End offshore detention once and for all; and 

• Commit to a transparent, humane, and rights-based approach to migration and asylum policy. 

Every day, we witness extraordinary kindness and generosity from people across Australia. In schools, parishes, workplaces, and community groups, people are standing in solidarity with refugees and people seeking asylum.  

This compassion and moral leadership reflects the Australia we believe in: a nation that sees the immense hope, humanity and resilience displayed by those who come here seeking safety.  

We urge the Government to reflect those same values in policy and practice.