l

o
. . . . o o

suppOtt meda HMAS Success to Christmas lsland.

ttase on he t

ransfer ofthe group of 85 peop:e on board

Talking points:
The group of85 people intercepted by HMAS Success on 20 February were transferred to Christmas lsland on 24 February. They will be accommodated temporarily on Christmas lsland while health checks and information gathering processes continue.

The group are offshore entry people under the Migration Act and, in line with long-standing Government policy, will be managed off-shore and will not be brought to the mainland.
The Australian Government is exploring a range of options for the handling of this group. Preliminary discussions have commenced with both lndonesia and Nauru. While the Government is considering options, clearly no action would be taken which would breach our international obligations.

Any suggestion that Australia would agree to an arrangement which would see refugees returned to a country where they face persecution is wrong.

they have claimed asylum, How can you even be consldering returning them
,

Discussions with the lndonesian government so far have been preliminary.

lndications are the group left from lndonesia to come to Australia. There are long-standing arrangements in place with lndonesia under which relevant international organisations manage the provision of assistance to asylum seekers in lndonesia. These arrangements include the capacity for those with protection claims to have them considered by UNHCR in lndonesia and also to access long-term durable solutions for people found to be refugees.

It's been reported the lndonesians intend to send them hack to Sri Lanka. lsn't this a breach of Australia's international obligations?

. .

Discussions with the lndonesian government so far have been preliminary.

While the Government is considering options, clearly no action would be taken which would breach our international obligations.

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Any suggestion that Australia would agree to an arrangement which would refugees returned to a country where they face persecution is wrong.

But aren't there two lndonesians on board? Wouldn't retuming them to lndonesia be refoulement?

. o

Ihe two lndonesians on board were crew. They have been interviewed and have
no protection claims. lnvestigations will be undertaken to determine if they have committed offences under Australian law. lf not, they will be returned under standard arrangements.

What will happen to the Sri Lankans if they go hack to lndonesia?

We are still in the preliminary stages of considering this option, so it would be inappropriate to speculate. We would ensure our international obligations are met. There are long-standing arrangements in place with lndonesia and relevant international organisations to manage the provision of assistance to asylum seekers in lndonesia.

.

o
O

fhese arrangements inctude the capacity for those with protection claims to have ihem considered by UNHCR in lndonesia and also to access long-term durable solutions for people found to be refugees.

as f e AFP aware ff s boa Oad OFSiLarlkarPs beFore Ffre"rrldOrles ?

Australian government agencies, including the AFP work closely with their counterparts to combat people smuggling. do not comment on specific AFP operational issues.

it take so long for the government to make a statement if the vessel was on 19 February?
office of the Minister for lmmigration and Citizenship first responded to ia inquiries about the vessel at about 8:30pm on 20 February. minister released a detailed media statement at spm on 22 February.

it take so long for the group to be brought into Christmas tstand? Why they taken there immediately?
VVe needed to gatherrnore informatlon aboutthe group and consider a range of options before a decision couid be made.
At a tirnes,our highest priorily was their health and we

being.They were we

looked after wh

e on board HMAS Success.

g on ffle,v ar ar Crl srmas lsrand beFore ey y were tte peopre tepr wa were moved rO f e dere u

"ce"fre?

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.Theirboatwasunseaworthy,andtheirliveswerepotentiallyinieopardy'Thatis,i
why thev
boaro r-iMAS

"gteed'i6

succtss

j? i+

L,).Aslsaid,theirintenttoreachChristmaslslandwasclearandtheMigrationAclf'!
makesnodistinciionaStohowsomeonearrivesatanexcisedoffshoreplace
person' and thereby becomes an offshore entry Are theY all healthY?

checks are being carried out No health issues are apparent atthis stage' Health on Christmas lsland. CASE 12 910
C

Where are they being accommodated on Christmas

DATE
U JUt.'010

ln the Christmas Island lmmigration Detention

Witl they have access to consular and legal

theY request it.

1:39M

oAllimmigrationdetaineeshaveaccesstolegalandconsularassistance'where

Who etse is detained on Christmas Istand?

.
What

men who are currently in As at 24 February,th ere are six oihers - two ;ifour living in residence determination alternative detention arrangements in the communitY'

;;;; ffiit

is

happening with their vessel?

. .

it is a hazard to navigation' The unseaworthy vessel is being destroyed as start of a new wave of boatpeople?

ls this the

Command's detection and As demonstrated by the Border Protection protection regime is working' interception of tnis ooat n"i'"fi''t border

capabilities to manage our We have in place appropriate and effective borders and preserve Australia's sovereignty' to combatting the The Australian Government remains committed people smuggling' Oang"rou" unO i*idio" trade that is

have there been in the past When was the tast unauthorised arrival? How many year?

. .

arrivals and 6 offshore ln 2005-06, there were 50 mainland unauthorised unauthorised by boat' arrivals, making a ,"1'1 ;150!eonle who arrived three boats arrive in excised Prior to this boat, in 2006-07 there have been offshore Places: in August 8 Burmese who arrived on Ashmore Reef r"oo"ttian who arrived on Ashmore Reef in z vietnam"ese OctOber

o o

''il "

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o
Cleared by:

in January and retumed 40 PNG citizens who anived on saibai lsland

home voluntarily.

PSTF

26 February 2007

7 2 0 u l o

Jul.2010

COpYISSuED UNDERTHE FREEDOM OF:NFORMAT:ON A 1982

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