BORDER PROTECTION COMMAND INTERCEPTS VESSEL

10 March 2010

Border Protection Command today successfully intercepted a suspected irregular entry vessel.

HMAS Armidale, operating under the control of Border Protection Command, intercepted the vessel just after 8am this morning, north of Ashmore Islands.

Initial indications suggest 46 passengers and 3 crew are on board the vessel.

People smuggling is a world-wide problem and Australia is committed to working closely with our neighbours to address the issue.

Situations around the world mean that large numbers of displaced persons are looking for settlement in stable, democratic nations such as Australia, and can be targeted by, and fall prey to, people smugglers.

People smuggling is not just an issue for Australia - it is a global and regional problem. The commitment of our neighbours, through bilateral cooperation and the Bali Process on People Smuggling, Trafficking in Persons and Related Transnational Crime, is critical to addressing this most serious issue.

Today, the Australian and Indonesian governments adopted an Implementation Framework for Cooperation to Combat People Smuggling and Trafficking in Persons.

The Framework, developed under the Lombok Treaty Plan of Action, reflects the cooperation between the two governments as co-Chairs of the Bali Process, as well as the 2006 bilateral MoU on Migration and Border Control management.

The two governments recognise that people smuggling and trafficking in persons are regional problems that require collaborative engagement among countries of origin, transit and destination, and with relevant international organisations.

This cooperation necessarily involves law enforcement and other agencies working together to prevent, disrupt and bring to justice people smugglers and people traffickers.

The group will be transferred to Christmas Island where they will undergo security, identity and health checks. Their reasons for travel will also be established.

Media Contact:
Brian Humphreys 0438 595 567 or
Customs and Border Protection media (02) 62756793