Convicted murderer among three members of NZYQ cohort to be resettled in Nauru under deal struck by Labor

<p>Three non-citizens with criminal histories taken into immigration detention in preparation for removal from Australia, home affairs minister says</p><ul><li><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2025/feb/16/australia-news-live-tropical-cyclone-zelia-foreign-investors-housing-anthony-albanese-peter-dutton-federal-election-ntwnfb">Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates</a></li><li>Get our <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/email-newsletters?CMP=cvau_sfl">breaking news email</a>, <a href="https://app.adjust.com/w4u7jx3">free app</a> or <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/series/full-story?CMP=cvau_sfl">daily news podcast</a></li></ul><p>Three members of the NZYQ cohort of non-citizens, including a convicted murderer, will be resettled in Nauru after the Albanese government struck a deal with the tiny Pacific nation for an undisclosed sum.</p><p>The trio were placed into immigration detention in preparation for their removal from Australia after being granted 30-year resettlement visas by Nauru on Saturday, the home affairs minster, Tony Burke, announced on Sunday.<br /><br />
The NZYQ cohort includes non-citizens released into the community in Australia as a result of a landmark <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/nov/08/australia-high-court-indefinite-detention-ruling-government">2023 high court decision</a>, where the court ruled in favour of “NZYQ”, a stateless Rohingya man, who <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/oct/04/australias-system-of-indefinite-immigration-detention-to-face-high-court-challenge">faced the prospect of detention for life</a> because no country had agreed to resettle him, due to a criminal conviction for raping a 10-year-old in Australia.</p><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/email-newsletters?CMP=copyembed">Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news email</a></p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/feb/16/convicted-murderer-among-three-members-of-nzyq-cohort-to-be-resettled-in-nauru-under-deal-struck-by-labor-ntwnfb">Continue reading...</a>