Lankan asylum seeker boat reaches Australia
A fishing boat packed with 66 asylum-seekers evaded detection in a
shocking breach of border security to arrive at a busy port on the
Australian mainland Tuesday, officials said.
The vessel was spotted within the harbour limits of Geraldton in
Western Australia, more than 2,000 kilometres (1,240 miles) south of
Australia's Indian Ocean territory of Christmas Island where
asylum-seekers are usually intercepted.
"Customs and Border Protection have advised a suspected irregular
entry vessel arrived within the harbour limits of Geraldton this
afternoon," Home Affairs Jason Clare confirmed. "Initial indications
suggest there are 66 people on board." The West Australian newspaper
said the boat, with men, women and children on board, was from Sri Lanka
and had been at sea for more than six weeks before arriving at the port
425 km north of Perth. Western Australia Premier Colin Barnett said he
was "alarmed" that a boat could make it undetected to Geraldton, one of
Australia's busiest regional ports and the country's second-largest for
grain exports.
"This is a serious, unprecedented and unacceptable breach of
Australia's border security," Barnett told reporters. "That a boat,
laden with people, can sail into a busy regional port in broad daylight
is shocking." Australia is facing a steady influx of asylum-seekers
arriving by boat, many of whom use Indonesia as a transit hub. They pay
people-smugglers for passage on leaky wooden vessels after fleeing their
home countries. Thousands also come from Sri Lanka, with Canberra
currently funding a media campaign in the South Asian country to caution
would-be boatpeople against undertaking the journey. It is an
inflammatory political issue in Australia and certain to dominate
national elections due in September, despite the fact that overall
arrival numbers are relatively low by global standards. Steve Ranch, who
manages the local Dome cafe in Geraldton, told reporters locals were
stunned to see the wooden fishing boat approaching the shore about noon.
"At first people weren't sure what was going on," he said.
"We thought it was a hoax or a publicity stunt, but then we saw the
customs towing it away."
AFP
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