Australia intercepts people smuggling vessel carrying 57

[News_Editor]

Australia intercepts people smuggling vessel carrying 57

2011-10-31 01:02:51 GMT+7 (ICT)

SYDNEY (BNO NEWS) -- The Australian Navy on Sunday intercepted a suspected people smuggling vessel carrying more than 50 people, the government said. It is the third vessel in one week.

HMAS Maryborough, operating under the control of Border Protection Command, intercepted the vessel southwest of Browse Island, which is just off the northwest coast of Western Australia. The vessel was carrying a total of 57 people on board.

"The vessel was initially detected by a Customs and Border Protection Dash 8 surveillance aircraft, operating under the control of Border Protection Command," said Maria Hawthorne, a government spokeswoman. "The passengers will be transferred to Christmas Island, where they will undergo initial security, identity and health checks and their reasons for travel will be established."

The Australian Navy frequently intercepts vessels carrying dozens of asylum seekers off its coast. Last Sunday, Navy vessels intercepted two vessels carrying a total of 128 people near Christmas Island in the Indian Ocean northwest of Australia.

Australia currently has nearly 4,000 asylum seekers from countries such as Iran, Iraq, Vietnam, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan in detention, down from 6,000 earlier this year. The United Nations has previously criticized the country for holding all asylum seekers in detention centers while their applications are being assessed.

In December 2010, at least 30 people were killed when a boat carrying more than 90 asylum seekers sank off the coast of Christmas Island. Forty-two people were rescued while an unknown number of people drowned.

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