The first group of Afghan asylum seekers, refused entry into Australia, has landed on the Pacific island of Nauru. About 80 men, each carrying a bin liner containing their possessions, were taken ashore from an Australian military ship.
The refugees carried a banner, thanking the authorities for allowing them to enter Nauru. The asylum seekers have been drifting at sea for almost a month.
They were rescued from a sinking boat by a Norwegian freighter last month. The freighter, the Tampa, was refused permission to land on Australian territory, and the ship was boarded by Australian special forces.
Since then, the asylum seekers have been the subject of extended legal wrangling in Australia. A federal court on Monday overturned an earlier decision to allow them to land, and they continued on to Nauru on board a navy vessel.
