IOM: Around 3,200 people smuggled into Indonesia in 2010

IOM: Around 3,200 people smuggled into Indonesia in 2010

2011-05-09 20:43:04 GMT+7 (ICT)

BATAM, INDONESIA (BNO NEWS) -- The International Organization for Migration (IOM) on Monday said around 3,200 people from war-torn Middle Eastern countries were smuggled into Indonesia in 2010.

IOM Indonesia chief representative Dennis Hill on Monday told Antara news agency that the majority of smuggled people were from Afghanistan and conflicted countries in the Middle East. In addition, he said most arrived to Indonesia enroute to Australia, where they plan to seek asylum.

In 2010, around 6,000 people had entered Australia illegally, Hill noted.

Hill spoke to the media outlet after launching an anti-human trafficking familiarization program in Batam, Indonesia, underlining that some groups had made smuggling people into Indonesia a business.

According to Indonesia's National Police Headquarters' Safety Maintenance Affairs Commissioner General Faith Sujarwo, smugglers entered Indonesia through several areas, including West Kalimantan, East Kalimantan, Riau Islands, North Sulawesi, as well as Batam.

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