Australia lacks ‘legitimate objective’ in fast-tracking Nauru deportations, Labor-led committee finds

Committee raised concerns Australia did not have sufficient safeguards to ensure those sent to Nauru would not face exposure to ‘ill-treatment or torture’. Composite: Victoria Hart/Getty images

The Albanese government does not have a “legitimate objective” in denying fair hearings to those set to be deported to Nauru and could place Australia in breach of international human rights obligations, a Labor-chaired committee has found.

The joint human rights committee’s scrutiny of the law said the changes would “likely exacerbate the underlying human rights concerns” with the regime to off-load more than 350 NZYQ-affected noncitizens to Nauru as part of a $2.5bn deal.