Having been stranded for 10 days on Lhoknga Beach in Aceh, 44 Sri Lankan asylum seekers were finally permitted to leave their boat and move into temporary shelters on Tuesday.

The government decided to host the migrants after ascertaining that the boat’s engine was irreparable and parts of the vessel were submerged from multiple leaks. It has also given access to United Nations High Commission on Refugees (UNHCR) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) officials to reach and help the migrants in the morning.

Aceh Immigration Office head Achmad Samadan said UNHCR and IOM officials would help to check the condition of the migrants, including their health.

“They are here to record and to find out what is being done [for the migrants],” he told reporters.

Achmad said the asylum seekers were currently staying in temporary shelters pending the...

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