Australia could end up spending around $2.5 billion to resettle up to 354 former detainees on Nauru, with government officials confirming multimillion-dollar payments would continue for three decades if the agreement is upheld.

The government last week struck a deal with the tiny island nation to take members of the so-called NZYQ cohort, released as a result of a landmark High Court decision, at an initial cost of $408 million and $70 million a year afterwards .

Since then, Labor has refused to release any further information about the terms of the agreement, which was signed by Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke during an unannounced trip to the island on Friday.

But Department of Home Affairs officials appearing before a Senate committee on Thursday night confirmed that the $70 milli

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