AUTHORITIES have intercepted another boat carrying dozens of asylum-seekers off Australia's northwest coast, sparking calls for a federal inquiry.
The people aboard the vessel - reportedly up to 83 suspected unlawful entrants and four crew - were said to be safe and had indicated they wished to come to Australia, according to the Federal Government.
Their boat was initially sighted in international waters by an RAAF maritime surveillance aircraft under the control of Border Protection Command.
It was intercepted near Ashmore Island by two navy ships, HMAS Maitland and ACV Triton at midnight, Queensland time, on Friday at the request of the Australian Maritime Safety Authority.
The Minister for Home Affairs, Brendan O'Connor, yesterday said the group was being transferred to Christmas Island where they would ``undergo security, identity and health checks as well as establish their reasons for travel".
"Situations around the world mean that large numbers of displaced persons are looking for settlement in wealthy, developed nations like Australia and can be targeted by, and fall prey to, people smugglers," Mr O'Connor said.
According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees' 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 remains vigilant and committed to protecting Australia's borders and today's incident demonstrates the effectiveness of the pro-active surveillance program in place," Mr O'Connor said.
The Government came under fire last week for abolishing requirements for refugees to pay back the costs of their detention. The Opposition said it sent a signal to people smugglers that Australia was a soft touch.
But Mr O'Connor said Labor placed a high priority on protecting Australia's borders and the last Budget committed more than $654 million to combat people smuggling and enhance border protection.
On Friday, 56 Afghanis trying to travel to Australia in a wooden boat were detained in Indonesia last week, a navy official said.
A further 14 Afghan migrants who were attempting to sail to Australia had been detained on the southern island of Papakan in Indonesia, an official said on Saturday.
Meanwhile, the federal Opposition has renewed calls for an inquiry into Australia's border protection laws, with Opposition immigration spokeswoman Sharman Stone saying the Federal Government has "clearly lost the battle to people smugglers".
"For the sake of those risking their lives - and to better protect Australia's orderly immigration program - we must have a detailed analysis of what has gone wrong with Labor's strategy," Dr Stone said in a statement on Saturday.
source: www.news.com.au
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