Friday, October 23, 2009

Boatload of 32 Lankans intercepted off Australia

A boatload of Sri Lankan asylum seekers came within 13km of Christmas Island in an old boat overnight before being spotted by an RAAF plane and delivered to the island's detention facilities at first light.
The 32 men, the 35th vessel to be intercepted his year, are believed to have skippered themselves all the way from Sri Lanka aboard a wooden boat. They were intercepted by HMAS Armidale at about 6.30am AEST (2.30am local time) and led to Flyish Fish Cove.
Customs brought the men ashore in life jackets between 11.20am and 12.20pm AEST.
The men waved and smiled as they were taken by bus to immigration detention for health and ecurity checks.
Their arrival bring the number of people in immigration detention on the island to 1090. (The Australian)

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