RI to coordinate efforts to stem flow of immigrants

RI to coordinate efforts to stem flow of immigrants

The Jakarta Post
Jakarta

Following the loss of over 350 illegal immigrants in the Java
Sea over the weekend, Indonesia vowed to coordinate efforts to
curb the flow of immigrants, while Australia offered a helping
hand.

Foreign minister Hassan Wirayuda said on Wednesday that
Indonesia would host a regional meeting with several Asian
countries and Australia to discuss the issue.

"We are taking the initiative to convene a regional meeting in
a bid to solve the problem of illegal immigration," Hassan said
after attending the opening of a meeting of Indonesian overseas
representatives at the State Palace.

The regional meeting on refugees would be held in Indonesia in
November, he said, without elaborating.

Hassan said member countries of the Association of Southeast
Asian Nations (ASEAN), as well as Australia, Iran, Iraq and
Afghanistan would be invited to the conference.

ASEAN countries, especially Indonesia, have been used as
transit points for refugees, originating from Afghanistan, Iran,
Iraq and other South Asian and Middle Eastern countries, heading
ultimately for Australia or New Zealand.

He warned of a larger wave of asylum-seekers following U.S.-
led strikes on Afghanistan.

"With the military action in Afghanistan, we should anticipate
that the wave of refugees will grow. We must act comprehensively
to deal with the issue," he said.

The issue of illegal migration resurfaced after a boat
carrying 418 asylum-seekers on their way to Australia from
Indonesia sank off the coast of Java. Only 44 survived.

The people on board were mostly Iraqis, Afghans, Palestinians
and Algerians.

"We are concerned about the incident and our government, along
with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, decided
to provide assistance to the survivors of the tragedy," Hassan
said.

According to Director General of immigration at the Ministry
of Justice and Human Rights Iman Santoso 43 of the 44 survivors
claimed to be Iraqis, while the other was an Afghan.

The survivors are now recovering at Wisma Palar in Gunung
Putri, Bogor, West Java, which is managed by the International
Organization for Migration (IOM).

Separately, UNHCR said that about 30 people who had already
qualified as refugees may have been on the ill-fated boat, a grim
reminder of how desperate many were to start a new life.

Australian Immigration Minister Philip Ruddock said Canberra
had identified an Egyptian people-smuggler operating out of
Jakarta as the one responsible for the ill-fated boat journey and
Australia had informed Jakarta about him several times.

"We know the identity of the person who handled this
particular group of travelers; he put 400 people on a boat 10
meters (30 feet) long that could only take 150 people," Ruddock
said, as quoted by Reuters on Wednesday.

"We have made an offer to Indonesia to accept, by way of
extradition, all of the people-smugglers and to try them," he
said.

An extradition treaty already exists between the two
countries.

Meanwhile, the National Police said their own sources had
identified a Middle Eastern man named Abu Kasim, but they were
unsure of his country of origin.

"The information from the Australian police corresponds with
what we have obtained from several sources here, but we're still
trying to corroborate it with hard facts," National Police
spokesman Brig. Gen. Saleh Saaf said.

"We don't know where this man is; we are looking for him."

Saaf said that the Indonesian police wholeheartedly agreed to
extradite the man to Australia if they could locate him and
gather enough evidence against him.

Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs
Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said that all of the country's security
agencies, including police, navy, seaport security, and
intelligence, had tried to restrict the activities of illegal
migrants.

However, he stated, "our country has a long coastline and our
security capability to monitor (illegal migrants') activities is
limited."

IOM chief in Indonesia Richard Danziger nevertheless applauded
Indonesia's efforts to act against the smugglers.

"Over the last 18 months Indonesia has moved forward in
addressing the issue. Increasingly, illegal migrants are being
intercepted," he told AFP.