Fact Sheet: Offshore Resettlement Deal With USA

InfoSheetThis information sheet explains what we know about the announcement made by the Australian Government for people on Nauru and Manus who have refugee status about resettlement in the USA.

On Sunday the Australian Government announced that people on Nauru and Manus who have refugee status will be resettled in the United States of America. All the information is not clear, but here is the information we have now.

  • If you arrived in Australia before 19 July 2013, this does not affect you.
  • If you are not part of the Nauru and Manus group and you are applying for TPV or SHEV, this does not affect you. Your situation stays the same.
  • If you are on Nauru or Manus and have refugee status, you will probably be offered resettlement in the United States. They did not say how many people, so we are not 100% sure if everyone will go. We don’t know when this will happen. We think they will send people from family camp first – single women, husbands and wives, and people with children.
  • If you are on Nauru or Manus and you do not have refugee status (you are still seeking asylum or have been refused refugee status) we do not know what will happen for you at this stage.
  • At the announcement the government said that only people with refugee status will go to the United States of America.
  • The Government said that people who do not have refugee status could return to their home country. However, it is not yet clear what will happen to people who are unable to do so.
  • If you are on Manus Island or Nauru and you refuse to take the US refugee resettlement option, you may be offered a 20 year visa to remain in Nauru.
  • We will work very hard for everyone to get a good outcome, including anyone who does not go to the US.
  • If you are in Australia and you have been on Nauru or Manus and you have a lawyer who has filed in the High Court for you, your situation is the same as it was before. The government must give 72 hours’ notice to your lawyer before they send you anywhere out of Australia. Your lawyers will contact you when they know more, tell you what your options are, and they will ask you what you want them to do.
  • If some of your family are on Nauru and Manus and some are in Australia, we do not know what will happen for you. If you have lawyers they will fight very hard to keep your family together.

This is everything we know so far and when we know something else we will tell you.

Last Updated 14 November 2016