Australia's State Leaders Offer To House Asylum Seekers Bound For Nauru

The premiers of Victoria and South Australia have offered to house the 267 asylum seekers set to be returned to the immigration detention centre in Nauru, urging the government to #LetThemStay.

The charge was led by Victoria’s Daniel Andrews, who shared on Saturday his letter informing Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull that his state “stands ready to assist and care for the children and their families who were brought to Australia from Nauru.”

“A sense of compassion is not only in the best interests of these children and their families,” he continued; “It is also in the best interests of our status as a fair and decent nation.”

When asked by the Refugee Action Committee if he would pledge the same as Daniel Andrews, ACT’s Chief Minister Andrew Barr responded in the affirmative.

@rac_canberra yes and yes

— Andrew Barr (@ABarrMLA) February 6, 2016

South Australia Premier Jay Weatherill followed suit today, echoing Premier Andrews’ sentiments and offering help to “this group of vulnerable men, women and children.”

“Many Australians have lost confidence in an offshore detention system that lacks transparency, is without independent oversight, offers refuges no credible hope of resettlement and that is demonstrably destructive to the health of children and adults,” he added.

“I understand that you priority is maintaining secure borders and keeping people smugglers out of business [but] [w]e do not need to knowingly harm children in order to achieve those outcomes.”

Tasmanian Premier Will Hodgman and New South Wales' Premier Mike Baird also indicated they'd be keen to welcome asylum seekers into their home states.

"If the PM has any additional requests for NSW we are prepared to help," Premier Baird said in a statement.

There has been much controversy surrounding the Federal Government’s plans to return 267 asylum seekers – including 37 babies, born in Australia – to Nauru for offshore immigration detention.

This group was brought to Australia for medical treatment, some suffering from cancer and terminal illnesses.

Last week, the High Court upheld the legality of offshore immigration detention.

However, at a Senate estimates hearing today, the government’s top medical adviser on immigration detention, John Brayley, said “wherever possible children should not be in detention,” citing a “deleterious” effect on their mental health.

Though it is believed some of the asylum seekers will be returned “within days”, others who require more treatment would return in the very near future.