MELBOURNE — The Nauru government unexpectedly said on Monday all 600 asylum seekers held at a controversial Australian detention center will be allowed to move freely around the tiny South Pacific island and all their asylum applications will be processed this week. Asylum seekers have long been a contentious political issue in Australia, although it has never received anywhere near the number of refugees currently flooding into Europe as they flee instability in the Middle East and North Africa. Successive Australian governments have vowed to stop asylum seekers reaching the mainland, turning boats back to Indonesia when it can and sending those it cannot for detention in camps on Manus island in impoverished Papua New Guinea and on Nauru. The harsh conditions at the camps have been strongly criticized by the United Nations and human rights groups. An independent UN investigator postponed an official visit to Australia last month, citing a lack of government cooperation and “unacceptable” legal restrictions. New Australia Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said last month he was “concerned” about conditions in the camps but gave no indication of a major policy change, so Monday's announcement from Nauru came as a surprise. “The start of detention-free processing is a landmark day for Nauru and represents an even more compassionate program, which was always the intention of our government,” Nauru Justice Minister David Adeang said in a statement. The Australian government would provide more police assistance to help Nauru with “safety, security and law enforcement,” Adeang said. A spokesman for Australia's immigration minister was not immediately available for comment. Australia has defended its detention policy as necessary to stop deaths at sea. No one processed at the Nauru or Papua New Guinea camps is eligible to be settled in Australia, even if they are found to be a genuine refugee. — Reuters
