Delay deporting 297 ill asylum seekers from Australia

Some of the 267 asylum seekers Australia wants to deport to an offshore immigration centre following a court ruling are suffering from cancer and other terminal illnesses, a senior government official said.

Australia’s High Court last week upheld the government’s right to deport detained asylum seekers to the tiny South Pacific island of Nauru, about 3,000 km (1,800 miles) northeast of Australia.

The centre has been widely criticised for harsh conditions and reports of systemic child abuse and sexual assault.