Facing influx of illegal immigrants
Two small islands in the Indian Ocean have become the focal point for boats transporting increasing numbers of illegal immigrants to Australia, and the focus of a tough Australian response.
Christmas Island and Ashmore Island, which are Australian territory, are the target landfall for boatloads of people, mostly from the Middle East, intent on reaching Australia and claiming refugee status.
Christmas Island is 1,500 kilometers off the northwest coast of the state of Western Australia and has a population of about 2,000. Ashmore Island is a small, uninhabited island 330 km off the coast.
Since July 1999, boats carrying nearly 3,000 unauthorized arrivals have arrived, mostly on the two islands. Other boats have arrived on or near the northwest mainland of Australia, carrying some 200 people.
Australia's Minister for Immigration, Mr. Phillip Ruddock, said, "It is clear that most of these people are being trafficked to Australia by criminal elements."
He predicted that if the current rate of arrival by boat is maintained, more than 4,000 illegal immigrants can be expected in the full 1999-2000 financial year (July 1-June 30).
"We are facing the biggest assault to our borders by unauthorized arrivals ever," he said.
The trafficking can be deadly. Last year, 15 Sri Lankans who were attempting to enter Australia by boat drowned in the Indian Ocean near Christmas Island.
"Those who died had fallen prey to false promises of people smugglers -- they paid thousands of dollars to travel in a dilapidated boat that sank en route," Ruddock said.
In another example of risks, Ruddock said more than 100 Chinese people who arrived in Australia as part of a people smuggling racket but who were returned by Australian authorities.
"They paid organizers up to A$36,000 each to travel to Australia. They paid up to A$10,000 before they left China, with the remaining A$26,000 to be paid by their families in China on their arrival in Australia," he said.
"These people were never going to succeed in their attempt to enter Australia illegally. Now they and their families face years of financial hardship after one naive and irresponsible act."
Ruddock said Australia's response to the recent upsurge in the "dehumanizing and exploitative crime of people smuggling" is designed to maintain an orderly and planned humanitarian program.
"In a growing trend that has become known as 'forum shopping', these people are trying to exploit Australia's generous arrangements for refugees to gain residence in their country of preference.
"The government's response has been to significantly increase the penalties for people smuggling, undertake information campaigns in source countries and to reduce the incentive for people to bypass the offshore processing by not providing permanent residence on arrival.
"It brings Australia's refugee response more into line with many other countries and reduces the incentive for people to queue jump."
New measures are aimed at: * excluding unauthorized arrivals from accessing permanent residence -- genuine refugees will be granted a three-year temporary protection visa or a short-term safe-haven visa; one effect will be that they will not be able to sponsor their families to Australia. * stopping people who have effective protection overseas from gaining onshore protection in Australia. * using fingerprinting and other biometric tests such as DNA testing, face, palm or retinal recognition and voice testing to help ascertain the true identity of asylum seekers to ensure, where possible, they do not already have protection elsewhere or have been refused refugee status overseas.
"The regulations prevent unauthorized arrivals from obtaining permanent protection visas and the benefits, particularly family reunion, which appear to attract traffickers and forum shoppers," Ruddock said.
In addition, if they leave Australia, the temporary visa will cease and they will have no automatic right of return.
In addition, people smugglers can be fined up to A$220,000 and receive prison sentences of between 10 years and 20 years under recently introduced legislation.
Separately, officers of Australia's frontline border agencies, such as the Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs and the Australian Customs Service, have been given the power to enforce Australia's border strategies in international waters.
Ruddock has claimed some success.
"When recent arrivals were advised of the new temporary residence arrangements, they were upset that they weren't getting the permanent residency package and immediate family reunion promised by the people smugglers," he said.
"The government's initiatives are a comprehensive plan to equip Australia to deal effectively with this inflow of people from the Middle East and elsewhere.
"People must understand that Australia welcomes migrants -- not illegal entrants."