Babies born to IMAs transferred from Nauru to remain in Australia

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 12/18/2014 - 16:57

Thursday, 18 December 2014

Thirty-one babies already born to illegal maritime arrivals (IMAs) who were transferred from Nauru to Australia before 4 December 2014 will be allowed to remain in Australia and have their protection claims assessed as part of the legacy caseload as a result of an agreement reached with Senator Muir, Minister for Immigration and Border Protection, the Hon. Scott Morrison said today.

'In the lead up to the passage of the Migration and Maritime Powers Legislation Amendment (Resolving the Asylum Legacy Caseload) Act 2014, following representations made by Senator Ricky Muir, the Government agreed as a special one-off arrangement that the babies would not be transferred back to Nauru. Instead, those babies, and their immediate families, will be allowed to have their protection claims assessed in Australia,' Minister Morrison said.

'This commitment is limited to a specific group of 31 babies and their immediate families. This includes the plaintiff in the case of B9/2014 and others represented by the lawyers in that case, as well as several other babies born before the Minister made this commitment to Senator Muir.

'Along with those 31 babies, I am also allowing their immediate family members to have their protection claims assessed in Australia.

'This includes their mothers, fathers and siblings. That is, around 80 family members, all of whom are already in Australia having been transferred from Nauru, for the birth of their child.

'This is in addition to the commitment to transfer all children off Christmas Island and to continue releasing children and their families as quickly as possible from held detention in Australia while their claims are being assessed.

'Any of these people who are found to be refugees will be granted a temporary protection visa or a safe haven enterprise visa - not a permanent protection visa.

'IMAs who have been transferred from a Regional Processing Centre (RPC), for medical and other reasons, will be transferred back to a RPC at an appropriate time.

'Pregnant IMAs who were transferred to Australia but who had not given birth, prior to today, will also be returned to Nauru, with their babies, at an appropriate time.

'Any IMA who may be transferred from a RPC in future, for similar reasons, will also be taken back to the RPC at an appropriate time.

'IMAs currently at and being processed at a RPC must not think this decision gives them a ticket to Australia. It does not. They will remain and be processed at the RPC. The Government's strong policies of turning back illegal boats, offshore processing and temporary protection visas remain in full effect,' Minister Morrison said.

The Australian Government is working with the Government of Nauru to put in place medical equipment, facilities and health professionals to support the birth of children in Nauru.

See: Index of Media Releases

URL:http://www.minister.immi.gov.au/media/sm/2014/sm220187.htm
Last update: Thursday, 18 December 2014 at 17:01 AEST

Article references
www.minister.immi.gov.au