RI envoy to meet illegal workers

RI envoy to meet illegal workers

CANBERRA: Indonesian officials will fly to the remote territory of Christmas Island on Thursday to meet 15 Indonesian job-seekers who arrived illegally in Australia last week, the government said Wednesday.

Indonesian diplomat Mukhlis Yunus will interview the nine women and six men and - if able to confirm their nationalities - help them return home, the Indonesian Embassy in Australia said in a statement.

The Australian navy discovered the 15 on March 4 on Ashmore Reef, 610 kilometers north of the Western Australian coastal city of Broome. All held either Indonesian passports or other Indonesian identity documents.

The navy took them to Christmas Island, which lies just south of Indonesia.

They told officials they'd paid a people smuggler the equivalent of US$750 each to be transported to Australia to work as fruit pickers.

Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said Indonesia had been very helpful with the matter. -- AP