Nauru accepts another 262 asylum seekers
The tiny Pacific Island, Nauru has agreed to process another 262 asylum seekers picked up by an Australian Navy vessel.
The latest group of asylum seekers spent two weeks on Indonesian vessels at Ashmore Reef before being picked up last weekend by the HMAS Tobruk, which is now sailing toward Nauru and is expected to arrive within three weeks.
The government of Nauru made the announcement today as 217 mainly Iraqi asylum seekers refused to disembark from the HMAS Manoora, which is anchored off Nauru, insisting that they be processed in Australia.
‘‘We’re happy that the Nauruan government has agreed to accommodate the people while they’re processed,’’ said a spokesman for Australia’s Immigration Minister Philip Ruddock.
The Australian government has already built temporary accommodation and processing facilities on Nauru, which agreed to process the asylum seekers in exchange for 20 million Australian dollars (£6.69) in aid.
The latest boat-load means almost 780 asylum seekers originally bound for Australia will be processed by Nauru.
Australia is refusing entry to asylum seekers arriving by boat many organised by illegal people smuggling gangs at its island territories between the mainland and Indonesia.
Last month, New Zealand offered to process the asylum applications of about 150 of 433 refugees rescued by a Norwegian cargo ship from a sinking ferry in Australian waters.
Nauru - the world’s smallest republic - agreed to take the remaining 280 people, and then later agreed to house another group of 237.
Australian Prime Minister John Howard, meanwhile, remained confident that the end of the stand-off with the 217 asylum seekers still on board Manoora would be resolved.
‘‘I should make it clear that the people on the Manoora will go to Nauru, they will not go to the Australian mainland or to Australian territory,’’ Howard said.
‘‘I’m sure in the end the people involved will be persuaded that the most sensible thing is to go to Nauru.’’
