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 September 2020 to 30 September 2020.
During this reporting period there were 25 IMAs transferred from a regional processing country to Australia for medical purposes or were an accompanying family member.
During this reporting period, OSB intercepted no illegal maritime ventures and returned no potential illegal immigrants.
No IMAs were transferred from Australia to a regional processing country.
Three IMA detainees, who arrived in Australia before 1 January 2014, were voluntarily removed from Australia. No IMA detainees were involuntarily removed from Australia to their country of origin, consistent with Australia’s obligations.
No IMAs voluntarily returned to their country of origin from a regional processing country.
As at 30 September 2020, there were no 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.
