**Core facts verified:** The Abbott Coalition government significantly increased financial incentives for asylum seekers on Manus Island and Nauru to voluntarily return to their countries of origin in 2014 [1][2].
**Payment amounts increased:** The Coalition offered between $3,300 and $10,000 depending on nationality - Lebanese asylum seekers were offered $10,000, Iranians and Sudanese $7,000, Afghans $4,000, and Pakistani, Nepalese and Burmese $3,300 [1][2].
This represented a dramatic increase from the previous Labor government's offering of $1,500-$2,000 [2].
**Administration:** The payments were administered by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), a UN-related agency, not directly by the Australian government [1][3].
IOM has been implementing Assisted Voluntary Return and Reintegration (AVRR) programmes worldwide since 1979 as a "humane and dignified approach to return" [4].
**Government opposition confirmed:** Labor opposition immigration spokesman Richard Marles stated in June 2014: "when Scott Morrison was in opposition he opposed Labor's own re-integration packages and now he is offering sums that are triple the amount" [2].
Immigration Minister Scott Morrison stated: "It has been the standard practice for more than a decade for settlement packages to be offered to those who voluntarily return home" [2].
Julia Julia Gillard Gillard 領導 lǐng dǎo 的 de Labor Labor 政府 zhèng fǔ 已 yǐ 提供 tí gōng 1 1 , , 500 500 - - 2 2 , , 000 000 澳元 ào yuán 的 de 付款 fù kuǎn [ [ 2 2 ] ] 。 。
The Labor government under Julia Gillard had already been offering $1,500-$2,000 payments [2].
**Safety assessments:** The claim's emotive framing about returning to "war crimes, genocide, torture and persecution" is not fully accurate.
Liberal MP Kelly O'Dwyer stated: "These are people who are voluntarily returning home and...it is safe for them to return home" [2].
自由 zì yóu 黨議員 dǎng yì yuán Kelly Kelly O O ' ' Dwyer Dwyer 表示 biǎo shì : : 「 「 這些 zhè xiē 是 shì 自願 zì yuàn 返回 fǎn huí 家園 jiā yuán 的 de 人 rén … … … … 對 duì 他們 tā men 來 lái 說 shuō 返回 fǎn huí 家園 jiā yuán 是 shì 安全 ān quán 的 de 」 」 [ [ 2 2 ] ] 。 。
IOM's policy states they "do not facilitate involuntary returns" [1].
**Voluntary nature:** The claim omits that these were described as voluntary returns, and asylum seekers who accepted the payments reportedly spent their own money before receiving reimbursement upon return [5].
IOM IOM 的 de 政策 zhèng cè 聲明 shēng míng 他們 tā men 「 「 不協助 bù xié zhù 非 fēi 自願 zì yuàn 返回 fǎn huí 」 」 [ [ 1 1 ] ] 。 。
By June 2014, 283 people had voluntarily returned since September 2013 [1].
**International practice:** Assisted Voluntary Return programs are standard practice internationally, implemented by numerous countries including the UK, European nations, and others, often administered by IOM [4][6].
**PNG Supreme Court context:** The timing coincided with increasing legal pressure on offshore detention, including the PNG Supreme Court's 2016 ruling that detention on Manus was unconstitutional [7].
The SBS article provides balanced coverage including both government justification and opposition criticism [2].
**The New Parliament:** The other original source (thenewparliament.com) appears to be an advocacy/political blog.
* * * * The The New New Parliament Parliament : : * * * * 另 lìng 一 yī 原始 yuán shǐ 來源 lái yuán ( ( thenewparliament thenewparliament . . com com ) ) 似乎 sì hū 是 shì 倡議 chàng yì / / 政治 zhèng zhì 部落 bù luò 格 gé 。 。
Its credibility is questionable compared to mainstream news sources.
**Primary sources:** The most credible sources include direct quotes from government ministers (Morrison, O'Dwyer) and opposition spokesperson (Marles), as well as reporting from established outlets like Sydney Morning Herald [1][2].
Additionally, Labor reinstated offshore processing to Nauru and Manus Island in August 2012 after closing the Howard-era facilities in 2007 [8][9].
**Key comparison points:**
- Labor offered similar payments, but at significantly lower amounts ($1,500-$2,000 vs Coalition's $3,300-$10,000)
- Labor reinstated the Nauru and Manus Island detention centres in 2012
- Both parties maintained offshore detention as policy
- Both parties used IOM to administer voluntary return programs
**Scott Morrison's hypocrisy confirmed:** The claim correctly identifies that Morrison opposed Labor's payments when in opposition.
* * * * 發現 fā xiàn : : * * * * 是 shì 的 de 。 。
Richard Marles (Labor) confirmed: "when Scott Morrison was in opposition he opposed Labor's own re-integration packages and now he is offering sums that are triple the amount" [2].
**Government position:** The Coalition defended the increased payments as necessary for successful reintegration.
Kelly Kelly O O ' ' Dwyer Dwyer 表示 biǎo shì : : 「 「 我們 wǒ men 希望 xī wàng 確保 què bǎo 當人們 dāng rén men 返回 fǎn huí 家園 jiā yuán 時 shí , , 他們 tā men 能夠 néng gòu 成功 chéng gōng 立足 lì zú 」 」 [ [ 2 2 ] ] 。 。
Kelly O'Dwyer stated: "We want to make sure that when people return home that they are set up for success" [2].
政府 zhèng fǔ 堅稱 jiān chēng 這些 zhè xiē 是 shì 前往 qián wǎng 安全 ān quán 目的地 mù dì dì 的 de 自願 zì yuàn 返回 fǎn huí , , 由 yóu 與 yǔ 聯合國 lián hé guó 相關 xiāng guān 的 de IOM IOM 組織 zǔ zhī 管理 guǎn lǐ 。 。
The government maintained these were voluntary returns to safe destinations, administered by the UN-related IOM organization.
**Opposition and human rights criticism:** Labor criticized the government for offering "blank cheques" rather than processing claims [2].
Human rights advocates expressed concern about the ethics of paying people to return to countries they fled.
人權 rén quán 倡導者 chàng dǎo zhě 對 duì 支付 zhī fù 人們 rén men 返回 fǎn huí 他們 tā men 逃 táo 離國家 lí guó jiā 的 de 倫理 lún lǐ 表示 biǎo shì 關切 guān qiè 。 。
Human Rights Watch's Elaine Pearson stated: "By making the conditions in Manus and Nauru so awful that people are encouraged to go back to active conflict zones, you are putting them in danger" [1].
**Comparative context:** This was not a uniquely Coalition policy - both major Australian parties have used voluntary return incentives, and the practice is common internationally.
The Coalition dramatically increased amounts that Labor had already established.
**Complexity:** The policy existed within the broader context of Australia's controversial offshore detention system, which has been criticized by the UN Human Rights Committee, UNHCR, and human rights organizations [7][9].
In January 2025, the UN Human Rights Committee ruled that Australia breached human rights treaties through its Nauru detention arrangement [9].
**Is this unique to the Coalition?** No.
Coalition Coalition 大幅 dà fú 增加 zēng jiā 了 le Labor Labor 已經 yǐ jīng 確立 què lì 的 de 金額 jīn é 。 。
Both parties have maintained offshore detention and voluntary return programs.
該主張 gāi zhǔ zhāng 在 zài 核心 hé xīn 斷言上 duàn yán shàng 事實 shì shí 準確 zhǔn què : : Coalition Coalition 政府 zhèng fǔ 確實 què shí 為 wèi 馬 mǎ 努斯島 nǔ sī dǎo 拘留 jū liú 者 zhě 的 de 自願 zì yuàn 返回 fǎn huí 提供 tí gōng 了 le 增加 zēng jiā 的 de 財務 cái wù 付款 fù kuǎn [ [ 1 1 ] ] [ [ 2 2 ] ] , , 且 qiě Scott Scott Morrison Morrison 在野 zài yě 時確 shí què 實反 shí fǎn 對 duì 過類 guò lèi 似 shì ( ( 雖然 suī rán 較 jiào 小 xiǎo ) ) 的 de 付款 fù kuǎn [ [ 2 2 ] ] 。 。
The claim is factually accurate in its core assertions: the Coalition government did offer increased financial payments to Manus Island detainees for voluntary return [1][2], and Scott Morrison did oppose similar (though smaller) payments when in opposition [2].
The emotive description of returning to "war crimes, genocide, torture and persecution" overstates the situation - the government maintained returns were only to countries assessed as safe [2]
2.
The claim omits the international context - Assisted Voluntary Return programs are standard practice administered by IOM worldwide [4]
4.
4 4 . . 該計劃 gāi jì huà 的 de 自願 zì yuàn 性質 xìng zhì 和 hé IOM IOM 的 de 角色 jué sè 被 bèi 淡化 dàn huà
The voluntary nature of the program and IOM's role is downplayed
The claim presents the policy as uniquely Coalition and uniquely cynical, when it was actually an expansion of existing Labor policy that both parties had used.
該主張 gāi zhǔ zhāng 在 zài 核心 hé xīn 斷言上 duàn yán shàng 事實 shì shí 準確 zhǔn què : : Coalition Coalition 政府 zhèng fǔ 確實 què shí 為 wèi 馬 mǎ 努斯島 nǔ sī dǎo 拘留 jū liú 者 zhě 的 de 自願 zì yuàn 返回 fǎn huí 提供 tí gōng 了 le 增加 zēng jiā 的 de 財務 cái wù 付款 fù kuǎn [ [ 1 1 ] ] [ [ 2 2 ] ] , , 且 qiě Scott Scott Morrison Morrison 在野 zài yě 時確 shí què 實反 shí fǎn 對 duì 過類 guò lèi 似 shì ( ( 雖然 suī rán 較 jiào 小 xiǎo ) ) 的 de 付款 fù kuǎn [ [ 2 2 ] ] 。 。
The claim is factually accurate in its core assertions: the Coalition government did offer increased financial payments to Manus Island detainees for voluntary return [1][2], and Scott Morrison did oppose similar (though smaller) payments when in opposition [2].
The emotive description of returning to "war crimes, genocide, torture and persecution" overstates the situation - the government maintained returns were only to countries assessed as safe [2]
2.
The claim omits the international context - Assisted Voluntary Return programs are standard practice administered by IOM worldwide [4]
4.
4 4 . . 該計劃 gāi jì huà 的 de 自願 zì yuàn 性質 xìng zhì 和 hé IOM IOM 的 de 角色 jué sè 被 bèi 淡化 dàn huà
The voluntary nature of the program and IOM's role is downplayed
The claim presents the policy as uniquely Coalition and uniquely cynical, when it was actually an expansion of existing Labor policy that both parties had used.