CHENNAI: A total of 183 Sri Lankan nationals who had been seeking asylum in Australia were sent back, said Commander Maritime Border Command and Commander of Joint Task agency Task Force, Operation Sovereign Borders Rear Admiral Justin Jones.
These are from six irregular maritime ventures attempt to reach Australia, said Rear Admiral Jones, who earlier participated in the Heads of Asian Coast Guard Agencies Meeting in Delhi, working with regional partners on civil maritime security.
Jones said the Sri Lankan nationals are trying to enter Australia in fishing boats which are not seaworthy. “It takes around 21 days to reach Australia from Sri Lanka,” he said. “We will stop any maritime people smuggling vessels seeking to reach Australia, and safely return those on board to their point of departure or country of origin, or if required, transfer them to a regional processing country,” Rear Admiral Jones said.
“We are aware that several people were recently detained in Kerala for attempting to migrate illegally by boat. I commend the relevant authorities for their swift action, a vital step towards dismantling the criminal people smuggling trade,” Rear Admiral Jones added.