More families transferred to Nauru for processing -DIAC

•“Coming to Australia by boat is not the way to gain Australian residency.”

•If people are paying thousands and thousands of dollars to a people smuggler, they are buying a ticket to a country other than Australia

The Australian Department of Immigration and Citizenship confirmed this week the third transfer of family groups under the regional settlement arrangement (RSA) to Nauru.

A group of Iranians, which includes 17 adults and seven children, arrived at the regional processing centre in Nauru yesterday where they will be accommodated while their claims are processed by the Nauruan Government.

A spokesman for the Department of Immigration and Citizenship said the third transfer of a family group under the RSA confirmed that everyone who arrives after July 19 would be transferred to a regional processing centre once health checks are complete.

“This latest transfer to Nauru sends the clearest possible message that coming to Australia by boat is not the way to gain Australian residency, and children or family groups will not be exempt from transfer, exempting them would simply encourage people smugglers to put children on boats to Australia.”” the spokesman said.

Under the RSA, anyone – including unaccompanied minors – who seeks to bypass proper migration pathways and instead pay people smugglers for a boat trip to Australia will be liable for transfer to a regional processing country.

The spokesman said there is no cap on the number of people who can be transferred to a regional processing country and transfers will continue on a regular basis.

“If people are paying thousands and thousands of dollars to a people smuggler, they are buying a ticket to a country other than Australia,” the spokesman said.

“Coming to Australia by boat is not the way to gain Australian residency.”