Australia Quietly Transfers First NZYQ Member to Nauru

Australia has quietly transferred the first member of the so‑called NZYQ cohort to Nauru under a controversial resettlement deal after a High Court ruling that overturned indefinite detention for about 358 non‑citizens, with Nauru’s president confirming the arrival. The government has refused to publish the 30‑year agreement or disclose how many cohort members hold Nauruan visas, and it has not confirmed whether the reported A$408 million payment linked to the deal has been made. Opposition parties, the Greens and human rights groups have criticised the secrecy and warned the arrangement may breach Australia’s obligations, raising concerns about detainees’ access to medical care, family separation and legal remedies. Many cohort members have prior convictions for serious crimes, and the government says it has new laws and monitoring powers intended to protect community safety while expecting legal challenges. Separately, ASIC, assisted by federal police, executed search warrants at Sydney offices of logistics software firm WiseTech in a probe of alleged insider trading by founder Richard White and employees, knocking the company’s shares by about 16% though no charges have been filed.