Nauru Expands Monitoring Powers to All Residents Under Australia Deal

Nauru amended its Community Monitoring Officers Act in June 2026 to extend powers to restrain, search and monitor any person on the island, Abc reported. The original law, introduced in March, had limited those powers to Australian transferees and permitted the use of reasonable force.

As of June 4, 12 people had been issued Nauruan visas and deported to the island under the Australia-Nauru arrangement, including one reliant on a wheelchair.

As of July 3, 37 additional people had been re-detained in Australia and await deportation, while nine more hold visas but have not yet been detained. The 30-year agreement is estimated to cost $2.5 billion and targets approximately 280 members of the NZYQ cohort.

Of the 354 cohort members released into the Australian community after the 2023 High Court ruling, 131 have Australian children and 63 have an Australian spouse or partner, according to Department of Home Affairs data.

Nauru is roughly the size of Tullamarine airport and home to about 13,000 residents. Failure to comply with CMO instructions now carries a maximum penalty of two years imprisonment. The Nauru government stated last month that cohort members hold Nauruan visas and possess the same rights as other residents, with access to facilities, employment opportunities and a relaxed Pacific way of life.

Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said nothing is more important than community safety and that the individuals surrendered their rights to stay in Australia by breaking laws. Greens senator David Shoebridge said the law was extended to all Nauruans only after it became apparent the original version would ground legal challenges to prevent removals.