A group of Sri Lankan asylum seekers who arrived undetected at an Australian port yesterday will be sent to Christmas Island for processing, the Australian Minister for Brendan O'Connor said today.
He further said that the group of 66 Sri Lankans who arrived in a boat at the Geraldton port on the West Australian coast boat Tuesday will be sent home directly if they are not exercising Australia's international obligations.
"We will be sending them to Christmas Island for processing and the department has made the right call here. And if they cannot exercise our international obligations, as with many other recent Sri Lankan arrivals in our waters, they'll be sent directly, flown directly, to Colombo in Sri Lanka," O'Connor said.
Australian Immigration authorities deployed officials to Geraldton to detain the group of 66 men, women and children.
Australia's Department of Immigration and Citizenship said the irregular maritime arrival group of what is believed to be Sri Lankan nationals was formally intercepted by Australian Customs and Border Protection officials Tuesday.
A team of processing staff supplemented by contracted health and detention service providers was expected to arrive in Geraldton and the immigration officials will formally detain the group and make arrangements as soon as possible for their transfer to detention facilities on Christmas Island, the Department said.
Since August 13, 2012, Australia has returned 756 Sri Lankans home involuntarily and a total of 963 both voluntarily and involuntarily.
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