The last remaining refugee children detained by Australia on the remote Pacific island of Nauru are being moved to other countries, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Sunday, following criticism of Canberra’s harsh treatment of asylum-seekers.
Under a policy meant to deter would-be asylum-seekers from reaching Australia by boat, Canberra sends arrivals to Pacific camps, where they await the processing of their applications.
But there has been growing domestic and international pressure on the government to move children held in the offshore island camps, following reports of serious health problems.
“Every asylum-seeker child has now been removed from Nauru or has had their claim processed and has a clear path off the island,” Morrison said in a joint statement with Immigration Minister David Coleman.