Seventh boatload of aslyum-seekers in one week

BORDER protection officials yesterday intercepted a boat carrying 78 suspected asylum-seekers northeast of Christmas Island

Asylum seekers

BORDER protection officials yesterday intercepted a boat carrying 78 suspected asylum-seekers northeast of Christmas Island, the seventh in a week.

Yesterday morning, officers on HMAS Childers, operating under the control of the Border Protection Command, boarded the vessel, which was also believed to be carrying two crew members.

The vessel, the 63rd of the year, was initially spotted by a RAAF maritime patrol aircraft.

A Customs official would not speculate on the nationality of the arrivals, but said they would be taken to Christmas Island for initial security, health and identity checks.

As of last night, the number of asylum-seekers to land this year stood at 3998. And as of Wednesday night, there were 1318 people detained on Christmas Island, including 26 crew, in facilities built for 1244. However, this latest figure does not include three of the most recent boat arrivals, which carried seven crew and 151 asylum-seekers in total.

Yesterday afternoon, Christmas Island officials received a crowded fishing boat full of mostly male Middle-Eastern asylum-seekers. The men were frisked while standing on the dock. Only one woman was spotted on board. An Immigration Department spokeswoman could not confirm whether the boat was the most recently intercepted vessel or an earlier arrival.

On Tuesday, authorities intercepted the largest boatload of asylum-seekers to arrive since 2009, also northeast of Christmas Island. There were 167 people on board and many of the 164 Middle-Eastern passengers were young children.