Boat intercepted in Aussie waters to pressure Christmas Island centre
March 20, 2010 04:27 pm
Another asylum seeker boat with more than 90 passengers on
board has been intercepted in Australian waters, stirring concerns the
The suspected illegal entry vessel was found northwest of
Initial estimates suggest 92 passengers were on board, Home Affairs Minister Brendan O’Connor said in a statement today.
The interception takes to 25 the tally of unauthorised asylum seeker vessels that have entered Australian waters in 2010.
Opposition immigration spokesman Scott Morrison said the
addition of 92 asylum seekers - the second largest intake this year - to
“If we have another boat arrive in the next 24 hours, which is quite possible, then it’s full,” he told AAP today.
“We´ll very, very soon be at the stage where they’ll be transferring people to the mainland.”
The federal government has previously raised the option of
housing asylum seekers at a 550-bed facility in
But Mr. Morrison said the coalition, which supports the reintroduction of temporary protection visas, would be opposed to asylum seekers being brought to the Australian mainland.
The government needed to consider other options, like temporarily housing surplus asylum seekers on ships used to accommodate oil rig workers.
“I’m not suggesting this is coalition policy. They are options,” he said.
Mr. O’Connor said the federal government was working closely
with
“People smugglers seek out and exploit vulnerable persons who, having faced uncertainty, conflict and violence, pursue stability and safety,” he said.
The asylum seekers will be transferred to