The Government Keeping A Single Refugee In Nauru Costs Taxpayers $4.3 Million Per Year

Australian taxpayers are forking out $4.3 million a year for each asylum seeker or refugee currently in detention at controversial Nauru detention centre, a new report has revealed.

Not only does Australia stand accused of committing serious human rights violations with asylum seeker policies, the government is also spending a literal fortune to do so.

According to The Guardian, Australia is currently paying $40 million per month on offshore processing in Nauru. While, this is a similar amount to what we were spending per month in 2016, there were almost 10 times as many people in detention at that time.

In 2016, Australia held 1193 people on Nauru at a cost of $45,347 per person per month. And while this seems like an astronomical amount of money to spend compared to just, you know, allowing asylum seekers to re-settle in Australia where they have the opportunity to contribute to the economy and society, it is a drop in the ocean compared to today’s figures.

Currently, each asylum seeker in detention at Nauru costs $358,646 a month, according to a The Guardian Australia‘s analysis of government figures. And considering there are currently 107 refugees and asylum seekers at Nauru, this figure adds up quickly.

This huge sum of money feels like even more of a waste considering a majority of people in detention at Nauru — 78, to be precise — are legally considered refugees. This means that their claims for protection have been recognised and Australia is legally required to protect them.

A Department of Home Affairs spokesperson told The Guardian that “regional processing in Nauru remains a key pillar of Operation Sovereign Borders”.

“Costs associated with regional processing have saved lives at sea, by providing ongoing deterrence against illegal maritime people smuggling,” said the spokesperson.

But despite asserting that the costs of offshore processing is saving lives, the Morrison government won’t actually explain where that money is going, refusing to tell a Senate hearing where $400-million of funding to help run the programme actually ended up.

$1,272,681,862 worth of the funding for Nauru has been dished out to construction and facilities management firm Canstruct, healthcare provider International Health and Medical Services, and the Nauru Government — which are considered the three “primary entities” in the programme.

However, this leaves $398.818,138 worth of funding unaccounted for, which is more than just spare change.

Shadow Minister for Home Affairs Kristina Keneally has been quick to slam the lack of transparency, asserting that Australians “absolutely have a right to know how it has been spent”.

“We are not talking about a missing tin of petty cash. This is $400M. Where did it go? Has it gone into the pockets of Liberal mates? Has it been lost?” said Keneally.

“The Morrison government either doesn’t know what has happened to this $400M or it doesn’t want Australians to know.”

The lack of transparency surrounding funding comes after Australia announced it would end its offshore processing arrangement in Papua New Guinea on December 31, four years after the detention centre was ruled unconstitutional and illegal. Those in detention at PNG will either re-settle in the country, or be transported to Nauru.