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 February 2020 to 29 February 2020.
During this reporting period, Operation Sovereign Borders intercepted no illegal maritime ventures and returned no potential illegal immigrants.
No IMAs were transferred from Australia to a regional processing country.
Six 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.
No IMAs voluntarily returned to their country of origin from a regional processing country.
As at 29 February 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.
