A suicidal, pregnant woman was told: give birth on Nauru or go home.

A pregnant Somali refugee has said she was threatened by the government: give birth on Nauru or go home.

Channel Ten’s The Project has exposed the mishandling of a pregnant Somali refugee, who was allegedly being “forced” by the government to give birth on Nauru, or be returned to Somalia.

The mother, Deka, — a victim of female genital mutilation — will require personalised medical care during her potentially fatal labour — a service which does not exist on Nauru.

The woman has also reportedly attempted suicide twice, and is in a particularly vulnerable position.

The government initially claimed the woman had been settled in the Nauruan community and would therefore be given the same local health care.

They later backtracked, alleging arrangements to transfer the woman to Australia were already in progress.

However, The Project contacted the Somali family in Nauru and discovered they had not been notified of any attempts to transfer them to Australia.

In an interview with Immigration Minister Peter Dutton, The Project host Waleed Aly attempted to discern when these arrangements were made, and why the desperate family weren’t notified.

Unsurprisingly, the Minister was not able to answer the question, but did say that the case was determined to be “beyond the capacity” of the medical staff on Nauru.

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“In relation to obstetrics, the plan is if the obstetrician on the island — who is New Zealand-trained — can deliver the baby, that delivery happens,” the Minister said.

“If that is beyond the capacity of that doctor — and that was the case in relation to this matter –then arrangements are made for the lady and her husband, in this case, or children otherwise, to go to another place where the baby can be delivered safely.

“After that will return to Nauru, they will not be settling in Australia.”

Aly said he would “leave it to the audience to see how much has been clarified.”

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