BORDER PROTECTION COMMAND BOARDS VESSEL
27 November 2009
Border Protection Command has provided assistance to a vessel 150 nautical miles south west of Ashmore Islands. The people on board the vessel are safe and have indicated that they wish to come to Australia.
HMAS Childers, operating under the control of BPC, boarded the vessel at 9:00pm (AEST) on 26 November 2009.
The vessel was initially sighted by a RAAF P3, operating under the control of BPC.
Initial indications suggest 29 passengers and two crew are on board the vessel.
Australia is proactively working with our neighbours, through bilateral cooperation and the Bali Process on People Smuggling, Trafficking in Persons and Related Transnational Crime, to address this most serious issue.
People smuggling is a global and regional problem. According to the UNHCR 2008 Global Trends report, there were 42 million forcibly displaced persons worldwide at the end of 2008, including 15.2 million refugees.
The Australian Government has committed more than $654 million to implementing a comprehensive people smuggling strategy to combat this issue. The Government has expanded its presence in the region with the Australian Federal Police (AFP), Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) and the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service recently setting up or expanding liaison posts devoted to deterring irregular migration.
Agencies are working closely with their counterparts in country exchanging and gathering information, and strengthening our regional capacity to mitigate irregular migration to Australia. Our strengthened offshore approach is working. Since September 2008 there have been 89 disruptions of people smuggling ventures in Indonesia, and the arrest of 2221 people smuggling organisers.
The group will be transferred to Christmas Island where they will undergo security, identity and health checks as well as establish their reasons for travel.
Media Contact: Brian Humphreys 0438 595 567 or
Customs and Border Protection media (02) 6275 6793
