People smuggling: from Sri Lanka boat intercepted illegally en route to Australia, Scott Morrison confirms
Scott Morrison has confirmed a boat from Sri Lanka was intercepted while illegally en route to Australia, just days after reports of $30,00 trips being offered.
Federal Election
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A boat attempting to enter Australia illegally has been intercepted by Border Force near Christmas Island, in the first breach of the nation’s on water security since 2014.
The Election Day boat interception, understood to have taken place on Saturday morning, has been seized upon by the Coalition as proof a Labor government poses a risk for “national security”.
Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrew confirmed a boat carrying 15 people was intercepted off Christmas Island by Australian Border Force on Saturday morning.
This comes after a boat carrying 40 people was intercepted by the Sri Lankan navy in recent days.
Ms Andrews seized on the “two attempts” as proof of “the risks that people are prepared to take to come to Australia by boat” because they think there will be a change of government.
“And that would mean for the people smugglers that they were back in business,” she said.
“This is not scare mongering, this is a reality. And it has been demonstrated by the two attempts that we are aware of.”
The interception was first confirmed by Prime Minister Scott during his Election Day press conference— in the spirit of “full transparency”.
He used the confirmation as a segue to ram home the Coalition’s rhetoric that it is the party best prepared to keep people smugglers at bay.
“That vessel has been intercepted in accordance with the policies of the government and and they’re following those normal protocols,” Mr Morrison said.
“In the interest of full transparency in the middle of an election campaign, the Labor Party was advised of this and a statement has been issued by the border protection authorities to talk about that as well.”
Operation Sovereign Borders head Rear Admiral Justin Jones, in a statement, said the government’s policy remained “unchanged”
“We will intercept any vessel seeking to reach Australia illegally and to safely return those on board to their point of departure or country of origin,” he said.
“Measures and safeguards are in place to enable actions and activities to be undertaken in accordance with Australian domestic law and Australia’s obligations under international law.
“The overriding priority for all agencies involved in Operation Sovereign Borders is the safety of all persons involved, including potential illegal immigrants and vessel crews as well as Australian personnel.”
RADM Jones said no further comment would be made.
Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews used the intercept to declare that a Labor government would mean the people smugglers were “back in business” because of their opposition to temporary protection visas.
She noted that the Sri Lankan navy had intercepted a fishing vessel and two dinghies carrying dozens of people on Wednesday before Saturday’s development.
“This is not scaremongering, this is a reality and it has been demonstrated by the two attempts that we are aware of,” she told reporters at a press conference on Saturday.
“We don’t know if there are any other attempts that have been made over the last few days and we don’t know if there have been any deaths at sea.
“I’ve said very clearly on my watch that I wanted no people to be attempting to travel to Australia illegally by boat and I didn’t want any deaths at sea.
“I’m very pleased that these two ventures have been intercepted and that the position of the Australian government, the Morrison-led government is very clear - that there is zero chance of being able to come to Australia by boat illegally.”
She said that the Labor government posed a risk to Australia’s borders because of its opposition to temporary protection visas, which are aimed at denying permanent resettlement.
“The risk that an Albanese government, a Labor government poses to us has been demonstrated by those two attempts that we know of to come to Australia by boat,” she said.
“These could have ended in very tragic circumstances for those people attempting to come to Australia by boat.
“I have said during the course of this election campaign that Operation Sovereign Borders has three very distinct components.
“And that is to turn back boats where it is safe to do so, regional processing and the third part of that is temporary protection visas.
“The Labor party has made it abundantly clear that they do not support temporary protection visas and in their view they are not required.
“I have said that is a significant deterrent. We have seen now the risks that people are prepared to take to come to Australia by boat because they think there’s potential for a Labor government to be elected today.
“And that would mean for the people smugglers that they were back in business.”
PEOPLE SMUGGLERS PROMOTING $30,000 TRIPS TO AUSTRALIA
People smugglers have begun promoting voyages to Australia, offering passage for up to $30,000 one way.
Just three weeks after the Royal Australian Navy issued an extraordinary warning to people smugglers, word has spread in towns around Java in Indonesia that fishing boats were readying to carry refugees to Australia.
News Corp spoke to several desperate asylum seekers — many of whom have been languishing for a decade awaiting resettlement — in picturesque Puncak.
Prospective passenger Gholam Abbas said he was so sick of “living in limbo” he was willing to risk “death on the ocean”.
“Is not fair for us, when we heard that the Australian government gave 7000 visas for Ukraine refugees in the last two months, it is not fair for us,” the 44-year-old, who has spent 10 years in a refugee camp, said.
“As refugees, we can’t have a job, we can’t open a bank account and we cannot register for a local SIM card.
“No chance for making a living is the same as death so there is no different, if we are dead on the limbo or dead on the ocean.”
The issue of boat turnbacks and offshore settlements dominated the first half of the election campaign with Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese forced to clarify his position on boat turnbacks.
Opposition immigration spokeswoman Kristina Keneally also had to deny she told a group of refugee activists that she would “welcome an approach … to end offshore processing” if Labor was elected after May 21.
Royal Australian Navy Rear Admiral Justin Jones, commander of Maritime and Border Command and Operation Sovereign Borders, released an astonishing 32-second video in multiple languages on April 29 warning Australia’s policies on border protection had not changed.
Another refugee News Corp spoke to said chatter had already begun on how much an illegal voyage would cost to Australia.
“No one offering me for travelling by boat yet but I have heard from a friend of mine to go to Australia now, cost starting 10,000 American dollars (A$14,444) until 20,000 American dollars (A$28,888),” Iranian-born Mohammad Amin, 26, said.
“The most important thing for me right now is to find a new country that allows me to find a job, a place to sleep well, I have to manage my future, my dream.”
Ali Riad, 20, from Iraq arrived in Indonesia in 2010.
“We were caught by Indonesian authorities in 2013 when me and my parents were trying to catch a boat to go to Australia somewhere in Surabaya and just before we were heading to the beach, more than 200 people were arrested and me and my parents ended up in a detention centre in Medan for four months,” he said.
He knows he doesn’t have money and doesn’t want to chance the boats again like in 2013 when then the rate he said was just over $10,000 for the three of them.
“I’m sure, very sure, 100 per cent if the boat opens, many refugees will take the risk,” he said.
People here follow the news, mostly looking for resettlement options. When former US President Donald Trump came to power many lost firm placements for resettlement when that policy was curtailed. So now they wait again, listening to gossip for the next break for legal resettlement.
In the past two years, 15 refugees committed suicide out of hopelessness. Many believe the figure to be twice that.
As at November 2021, there were about 13,100 refugees registered with the UNHCR office in Indonesia, with most from Afghanistan, Somalia and Myanmar. Last month many protested outside the UNHCR offices in Jakarta demanding resettlement.
Hazara Bibi Rahima says she just wants to live and work.
“Many of us have skill and good profile and we are polite, so please allow us to have work in legal so we can continue our life or future,” the 32-year-old, who spends her time as a volunteer translator and nursing for refugees.
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