10 November 2025
The Refugee Council of Australia (RCOA) is calling for a Parliamentary Inquiry into serious allegations surrounding the management of offshore detention and reception centres in Nauru.
The call follows revelations aired on 60 Minutes last night, which detailed claims of corruption, misuse of public funds, and criminal infiltration within government contracts related to offshore processing.
According to the report, millions of dollars were allegedly paid towards contract renewals that were not fit for purpose, with further evidence of overpayments for services no longer required or delivered. The program also revealed that members of the Finks Bikie gang had infiltrated the government’s billion-dollar deal with Nauru through a security company involved in managing the contracts.
These allegations come amid growing concern over recent legislation that allows the Government to forcibly deport people without warning, even in cases where individuals may face persecution, serious harm, or health risks. The law provides no requirement to assess health needs and no independent oversight of the deportation process.
The Government has committed to paying $408 million upfront, plus $70 million per year for 30 years, to support ongoing offshore reception centre operations, at a total projected cost of more than $2.5 billion. These payments are in addition to the $13.35 billion spent since Australia’s offshore detention centres were reopened in 2012, including the expansion of MTC’s contract to over $790 million allocated since 2022.
The legislation also permits the Government to retrospectively validate visa decisions, even if those decisions were made under incorrect or outdated laws. This could mean that people are deported based on decisions that have never been properly reviewed or checked.
Given the considerable amount of Australian taxpayer money that is funding these arrangements, at a minimum the Australian Government must ensure the Australian Human Rights Commission and the Commonwealth Ombudsman be granted access to those taken to Nauru, providing at least some level of oversight and accountability for the treatment of those transferred.
RCOA CEO Paul Power said the revelations raised serious questions about the lack of accountability in Australia’s offshore processing system.
“The Australian public deserves to know how taxpayer funds are being spent and whether laws are being used to undermine human rights and due process. A full Parliamentary Inquiry and ongoing independent scrutiny are urgently needed to restore trust, transparency, and accountability.”
