Australia Navy Drive Foreign Boat People to Indonesian Waters

Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara (Antara) - The Australian navy has driven illegal immigrants from Africa and Middle East to Indonesian waters, Indonesian police said. The 45 boat people including nine women were from Sudan, Eritrea, Somali, Ghana, Egypt, Yemen and Lebanon. They were entering the sea territory of Australia on Monday but they were immediately forced to turn to Indonesian waters, Rote Ndao police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Hidayat said. Finally Rote Ndao police picked them up after they were stranded in that Indonesian island. They are now in police detention in Rote Ndao, Hidayat said on Monday. The Australian navy provided the illegal immigrants with life buoys and a communication equipment before driving them to Indonesian waters, Hidayat quoted a leader of the boat people. Head of the Kupang Immigration office Silvester Sililaba said the people would be accommodated at a former immigration office building as the Kupang Immigration detention house is already overloaded. (*)