This statement provides an update on Operation Sovereign Borders (OSB) activities related to the on-water reception and processing of illegal maritime arrivals (IMAs).
The reporting period is from 1 January 2020 to 31 January 2020.
During this reporting period there was one IMA transferred from a regional processing country to Australia for medical purposes or were an accompanying family member.
No IMAs were transferred from Australia to a regional processing country.
Two IMA detainees, who arrived in Australia before 1 January 2014, were voluntarily removed from Australia. One IMA detainee was involuntarily removed from Australia to their country of origin, consistent with Australia's obligations.
During this same period, the Australian Government intercepted a maritime people smuggling venture from Indonesia with two Indonesian nationals and six Chinese nationals on board. None of the potential illegal immigrants aboard the vessel engaged Australia's protection obligations, and all eight were successfully returned to Indonesia in close cooperation with the Indonesian Government.
No IMAs voluntarily returned to their country of origin from a regional processing country.
As at 31 January 2020, there were 0 people in the Nauru Regional Processing Centre (RPC). The Manus RPC closed on 31 October 2017.
The processing of refugee claims are matters for the governments of PNG and Nauru.
