More boats push arrivals to yearly record Paige Taylor From: The...

More boats push arrivals to yearly record Paige Taylor From: The Australian November 04, 2010 5:30AM THE surprise approach of two asylum-seeker boats to Christmas Island last night appears likely to have broken an unwanted record.
Their arrival appears likely to have pushed the number of arrivals for the year beyond the record during the years of the Howard government.

Labor was just 51 people shy of outstripping the Coalition's record of 5516 asylum-seekers in 2004 when the two boats appeared on the horizon soon after 3pm local time (7pm AEDT).

Witnesses said there appeared to be well over 50 people on board the two vessels.

However, a spokeswoman for Border Protection Command was unable to provide a figure last night.

The arrivals ended a busy 24-hour period for Australian Customs vessel Ocean Protector, as it was called upon to intercept four boats within 24 hours.

On Tuesday, Home Affairs Minister Brendan O'Connor confirmed the interception of two asylum-seeker boats off Christmas Island, the 112th and 113th this year.

The boats, intercepted south and southeast of Christmas Island, were carrying 80 passengers and two crew on one boat and 63 passengers on the other, bringing the total number of arrivals this year to 5466.

The 114th and 115th boats appeared crowded.

Locals watched on as one of the asylum boats towed the other to the edge of Flying Fish Cove.

Ocean Protector oversaw the arrival, and Customs rigid inflatable boats escorted them in.

This year, asylum boats have been smaller but more frequent than in 2004, when 5516 asylum-seekers arrived on 44 boats.

At Christmas Island yesterday, a small number of the 143 people intercepted on Tuesday were delivered to immigration officials on the island in barges.

However, rough weather made it dangerous to continue offloading people.

Last night, asylum-seekers from each of the four asylum boats spent the night moored off the island waiting to be brought ashore.

Most of those intercepted on Tuesday remained on the Ocean Protector.

According to Customs' website, the boat has "austere accommodation for up to 120 potential transportees".

Those who arrived on two boats yesterday stayed on board their vessels.

They had been provided life jackets, food and water. The arrivals will place further strain on the island's detention facilities, which on Tuesday night held 2669 people.

There are about 2400 boatpeople in various detention facilities on the mainland.

Yesterday, 25 asylum-seekers being held in mainland detention were granted visas and resettled, bringing the total number of asylum-seekers granted visas this year to 1812. That figure comprises 1003 Afghans, 357 Sri Lankans, 165 Iranians, 81 Iraqis and 212 people of other nationalities, including stateless people.

So far this year, 44 boatpeople have been returned to their country of origin, including two involuntarily.

That figure comprises 22 Sri Lankans, 13 Vietnamese, five Iraqis, two Afghans, one Iranian and one Indian.

Read more at The Australian


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