The new Federal Government has moved quickly, to grant seven Burmese asylum seekers detained on Nauru, refugee status. Newly appointed Immigration Minister, Chris Evans, has said that it is now likely that the Burmese refugees will be resettled in Brisbane in the next week or so before Christmas.

The group of eight originally arrived on Ashmore Reef in August 2006 and have been on Nauru since September last year. One man offered to move to Malaysia and later he and his family were issued humanitarian visas. They are now resettled in Australia. A spokesperson from the Department of Immigration has said that the seven Burmese refugees had a well-founded fear of persecution, should they be returned home.

An Immigration Department taskforce is in Nauru to finalise the protection applications of more than 80 refugees from Myanmar (formerly known as Burma) and Sri Lanka. The closure of the detention centre on Nauru is seen as the first step in the Federal Government's commitment to dismantle the Pacific Solution policy.

The Government is hoping to quickly resolve the claims of 83 Sri Lankans who are also being held on Nauru. The group was picked up off northern Australia in February. Seventy-four among the group were deemed to be refugees by previous Immigration Minister Kevin Andrews, but were told that they would not be sent to Australia; rather, the former government was looking for resettlement options to third countries. Now Senator Evans has said that arrangements for their resettlement would follow in the next month.

Of the rest of the Sri Lankan group, one was refused refugee status; another is being treated in a Perth hospital for injuries sustained in Sri Lanka; and several have been charged with indecently assaulting a Nauruan woman, no decision has been made regarding their status.

Immigration Minister Chris Evans acknowledged that the Pacific Solution has been a "costly failure" to the tune of an estimated $300 million. Refugee advocates, including ourselves, have welcomed the new government's commitment to disassembling the Pacific Solution, but are calling on them to reconsider keeping the Christmas Island detention centre open, which is still part of the commonwealth of Australia, but will remain excised from the migration zone.

Amnesty International Australia has also called for the new government to end the policy of mandatory detention for asylum seekers.

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