The Department of Immigration and Border Protection has issued a statement of regret in its decision to remove nine Save the Children workers from Nauru in 2014 and has offered compensation in a confidential financial settlement.

The statement said a review into the alleged conduct of the Save the Children (SCA) employees determined “the information available to the department at the time of the removal direction did not warrant issuing the direction”.

The department also acknowledged that it did not provide SCA or any of the employees with detailed reasons for the removal.

It has reached a confidential financial settlement with SCA, and said it had no reason to “cause doubt to be cast on SCA’s reputation”.

The nine aid workers were removed from Nauru in October 2014 after the federal government alleged they were orchestrating protest activities and coaching asylum seekers to self-harm.

Read the full statement here.

– with other agencies