Kendari, Southeast Sulawesi (Antara) - At least 11 of illegal immigrants from Iran have been sent back to that country from Kendari, Southeast Sulawesi. Kendari still has around 100 illegal immigrants after the deportation of the 11 Iranians, Head of the Kendari immigration office Hendriartono said. The Iranians including seven men, three women and a boy 11 were flown on Thursday to Jakarta and from Jakarta to Iran, Hendriartono said. He said there were at least 800 illegal immigrants from Iran, Myanmar and Pakistan found entering Southeast Sulawesi without proper documents since 2012. They claimed they were political refugees seeking asylum in Australia, he said. They entered the country via Jakarta and East Nusatenggara from they flew to Kendari or Bau Bau in Southeast Sulawesi,he said. From Kendari or Bau Bau they planned to proceed to Australia by hiring fishermen boats, he added. The Kendari immigration office already deported 23 illegal immigrant from Iran in August. Their deportation is made by phases depending on fund available from the International Organization for Migration (IOM). The high cost and the administrative complexity caused delay in the process of deportation , Hendriartono said. "Taking care of the illegal immigrants with limited fund is not easy . We need fund to feed them and sending them back to their respective countries would need larger cost," he said. Illegal immigrants, seeking to cross to Australia, have crowded immigration detention houses in a number of areas in the country. (*)

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