Nauru's justice minister has dismissed concerns about the safety of asylum seekers who now are free to come and go at will from the island's detention centre, saying his country is "in some ways ... safer than Australia". 
David Adeang says refugees in Nauru are in no physical danger and stories of locals attacking them are "largely fabricated" to further political agendas and influence the Australian government.
"There is no gun violence in Nauru, people are not dying from domestic violence and our police don't even have to be armed, so let's get some perspective into this discussion," Mr Adeang said.
But his assurances have been rejected by critics including Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young, one of the few Australian politicians to visit the island. "This is the minister who's responsible for overseeing the investigations into child abuse, rape and assault on Nauru," Senator Hanson-Young said.
"It's deeply concerning that this is the attitude of the person the Australian government is hiding behind. I have no faith that women and children will be safe or that justice will be delivered while he's in charge."
An independent review this year into sexual abuse at the Nauru detention centre found evidence of rape and sexual assault of minors.
The full bench of the High Court will sit on Wednesday and Thursday to hear a challenge to the lawfulness of the Australian government's role in offshore detention on Nauru and Manus Island.
Meanwhile, the Christmas Island immigration detention centre is in lockdown after a decision by the Australian Border Force to start housing sex offenders there sparked a string of brutal assaults.
Fairfax Media understands at least three men with serious sex crime convictions have been attacked by other inmates.