Police Arrest Protesting Refugees in Nauru

Nauru’s police arrested dozens of refugees on Wednesday, March 4, for protesting in the island nation’s capital Yaren. The refugees, who were arrested without a warrant, were held in the Yaren police station, according to the Refugee Action Coalition. Wednesday’s arrests take the number of refugees being held by police up to 150.

Refugees began a series of protests on Friday, February 27, as part of a non-cooperation campaign aimed at drawing attention to their poor living conditions during their lengthy immigration detention on the island. On Tuesday, March 3, Nauru police issued a statement urging refugees to stop protesting and threatening detention if they gathered publicly in groups larger than three. The full statement is included below. Credit: Refugee Action Coalition