Ministerial Submission MS24-001185 – Claim Of Public Interest Immunity On Questions From The Senate Standing Committee On Legal And Constitutional Affairs Over Material Related To Assisted Voluntary…

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This ministerial submission recommends claiming public interest immunity to withhold answers to three Senate questions about the Assisted Voluntary Returns (AVR) program for transferees from Nauru since September 2023. The questions sought details on payments made to returnees and destination countries, countries of origin of returned individuals, and whether Chinese nationals were offered resettlement packages valued at USD 5,100 plus return tickets to incentivise return to China. The Department of Home Affairs advised the Minister could invoke public interest immunity under sections 33(a)(iii) and 33(a)(i) of the Freedom of Information Act, claiming disclosure would reasonably be expected to damage Australia's international relations and national security respectively. No quantitative data on AVR program operations, return numbers, or reintegration assistance amounts were disclosed in the released excerpt.