Australia intercepts 52 suspected asylum seekers
The Associated Press, Canberra | Sat, 08/29/2009 3:46 PM
A navy patrol vessel intercepted a boat carrying 52 suspected asylum seekers on Saturday off the coast of Australia's Ashmore Islands in the Indian Ocean, an official said.
The passengers and three crew were being transported to an Australian immigration detention camp on nearby Christmas Island, Home Affairs Minister Brendan O'Connor said in a statement. Their nationalities were not immediately known.
The boat was intercepted near the Ashmore Islands - the closest Australian territory to Indonesia and an increasingly popular destination for travelers who want to become refugees in Australia.
The incident Saturday comes just two weeks after a people-smuggling boat from Indonesia was caught in Australian waters, O'Connor said. The boat, which was intercepted north of Christmas Island on Aug. 12, was carrying 77 asylum seekers.
Australia has long been a destination for people from poor, often war-ravaged countries hoping to start a new life. Most of the asylum seekers have come from Afghanistan, Iran and Sri Lanka.
The recent rise in boat arrivals has stoked a political debate over immigration. Last year, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd relaxed the mandatory detention policy for asylum seekers and allowed full residency visas for those who are accepted as refugees, rather than temporary visas granted by the previous government.
