Another day... another boat

[Jonas Profile]

total number of illegal boat arrivals for June to 1781 people.

http://au.news.yahoo.com/latest/a/-/lat ... -for-june/

Mr Morrison repeated the opposition's calls for Nauru to be reopened on Saturday, saying the government's inaction was encouraging the illegal boats.

Former solicitor-general of Nauru Kerry Smith-Douglas agreed, saying at the time of the Howard government's Pacific solution the detainees "were all happy ... they had the freedom of the island
Mr Downer said Indonesia should not be allowed to get away with leaving the problem to Australia.

"You can make Indonesia part of the solution, not let Indonesia get away with saying this is an Australian problem and we're having nothing to do with it," he said at the Liberal Party federal council in Melbourne
".

[Jonas Profile]

New asylum seeker boat arrives

http://au.news.yahoo.com/latest/a/-/lat ... t-arrives/

A boat carrying 39 asylum seekers arrived near Christmas Island last night.

The Federal Government says the passengers will be transferred to the island for health, identity and security checks

Will July be as bad as june

[Jonas Profile]

Another asylum seeker boat in distress

http://au.news.yahoo.com/latest/a/-/lat ... -distress/

Another asylum seeker boat has signalled it is in distress south of Indonesia, Home Affairs Minister Jason Clare says.

The boat, which is about 50 nautical miles south of Indonesia, made a distress call at 4.30am AEST, Mr Clare told ABC Radio on Wednesday morning.

It is believed to be carrying between 130 and 180 people.

HMAS Wollongong is en route and should be there within the hour.

"The boat has rung, said it's in distress, that it's taking on water," Mr Clare said.

"Whenever you have a call like that, you take it seriously."

Mr Clare said the boat was still motoring along and was heading back towards Indonesia

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[Jonas Profile]

Navy shadows another refugee boat in distress

http://www.smh.com.au/national/navy-sha ... 21hj7.html

A CROWDED asylum seeker boat refused warnings to turn back to Indonesia in rough waters yesterday, despite a message to search and rescue authorities saying the vessel was in distress.

Australian patrols were last night shadowing the boat, believed to have up to 180 people on board, in seas too rough to attempt boarding as it headed south towards Christmas Island.

A Hercules dispatched by the Indonesian rescue agency Basarnas had reported that the boat looked ''OK from above'', said spokesman Gagah Prakoso.

Advertisement: Story continues below It had not been listing to one side, as it would have if it was leaking, but might have had engine trouble. A distress call earlier said it was taking water.

Mr Prakoso said the passengers had refused to be taken to shore in Indonesia. Asked if he believed the boat had faked the distress call in order to be taken to Australia, he replied: ''No comment, but it's classic. They don't want to be taken to Indonesia.''

Australia is been taken in as suckers

[Jonas Profile]

Boat boarded off Christmas Island

http://au.news.yahoo.com/a/-/newshome/1 ... as-island/

Australian authorities have boarded a boat believed to be carrying 31 people west of Christmas Island.

Home Affairs Minister Jason Clare says the suspected irregular entry vessel was intercepted on Friday evening by ACV Triton, operating under the control of Border Protection Command.

The boat was first detected by a RAAF maritime patrol aircraft.

The passengers are expected to be transferred to Christmas Island on Saturday morning for checks.

Earlier on Friday, Prime Minister Julia Gillard announced details of a multi-party group of MPs to work alongside a new expert panel on asylum policy, led by former defence chief Angus Houston.

JUlia Gillard reminds me of Nero While Rome burnt Nero fiddled. Julia Gillard while doing a lot of talking the boat people invasion is going on. Stop talking and fix the problem you busted Gillard you and KRudd

[Jonas Profile]

Asylum boat intercepted with 28 on board

http://au.news.yahoo.com/latest/a/-/lat ... -on-board/

The Federal Government says an asylum seeker boat was intercepted near the Cocos Islands on Sunday afternoon.

Home Affairs Minister Jason Clare said there was believed to have been up to 28 people on board.

Customs and Border Protection officers and Australian Federal Police were involved in the operation.

The asylum seekers are now being taken to Christmas Island for health and security checks.

The latest arrival comes after a boat with roughly 40 people aboard was intercepted on Friday north-east of the Ashmore Islands

[Jonas Profile]

Authorities head to boat in distress off Indonesia

http://au.news.yahoo.com/latest/a/-/lat ... indonesia/

Australian authorities are on their way to a vessel requesting assistance about 80 kilometres off the Indonesian coast.

In a statement, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority's Rescue Coordination Centre (RCC Australia) said they received telephone calls about 10am (AEST) from a person on board a vessel requesting assistance.

Initial reports suggest the vessel has about 85 people on board.

"Australian authorities are assisting the Indonesian search and rescue authority, BASARNAS, in the response to a vessel requesting assistance 43 nautical miles (80km) south-west of Tanjung Layar, West Java, Indonesia," the statement said.

The Indonesian search and rescue agency, Basarnas, has confirmed that the Iranian flagged vessel was leaking

This is starting to be a habit let them survive the best way they can either sink or swim we the Australian tax payer are paying for this, Abbott might be right. Inform the Indonesians If The RAN has to go the boats will be turned around

[Jonas Profile]

More boat drama as MPs joust

http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/political ... 21u2v.html

THE Australian navy has come to the aid of another asylum seeker boat after it was reported in distress off the coast of Indonesia.

Eighty-one asylum seekers were transferred to HMAS Childers south-west of Java late yesterday and were on their way to Christmas Island.

The drama came as Prime Minister Julia Gillard tried to ramp up pressure on Tony Abbott, challenging him to say how many lives of navy officers he would be prepared to lose in pursuing his policy of turning boats back to Indonesia.

In the latest incident, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority received a call about 10am requesting help about 40 nautical miles from the Java coast.

Advertisement There were conflicting reports later about whether the boat was actually in trouble.

An Australian Customs aircraft located it about 2pm and reported “no visible signs of distress”. But a spokesman for the Indonesian search and rescue agency, Basarnas, said two merchant vessels in the area had reported it was leaking.

[Jonas Profile]

Asylum boat intercepted near Cocos Islands

http://au.news.yahoo.com/a/-/newshome/1 ... s-islands/

A merchant ship has gone to the aid of an asylum seeker boat in waters north-west of the Cocos Islands.

Authorities asked for the merchant ship Atlantic Hero's assistance after the asylum seeker boat, carrying 27 passengers, was spotted by an RAAF pilot.

All on board the boat have been transferred to the Atlantic Hero and will be taken to the Cocos Islands before being transferred to Christmas Island where they will undergo health and identity checks.

[Jonas Profile]

Asylum boat intercepted near Cocos Islands

http://au.news.yahoo.com/latest/a/-/lat ... s-islands/

A merchant ship has gone to the aid of an asylum seeker boat in waters north-west of the Cocos Islands.

Authorities asked for the merchant ship Atlantic Hero's assistance after the asylum seeker boat, carrying 27 passengers, was spotted by an RAAF pilot.

All on board the boat have been transferred to the Atlantic Hero and will be taken to the Cocos Islands before being transferred to Christmas Island where they will undergo health and identity checks.

[Jonas Profile]

Sri Lankans reach Christmas Island

http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/political ... 2248c.html

A BOAT carrying 51 Sri Lankan asylum seekers has arrived at Christmas Island, with the group now expected to have their initial claims for asylum processed there.

Unlike various other recent boats, the vessel arrived unaided.

Last month at least 94 people died when two boats capsized on the way to Christmas Island. Both had called for assistance when about 100 nautical miles away.

Since then several boats have made distress calls to the Australian Maritime Safety Authority soon after leaving Indonesia. That has lead to criticism from elements in the Australian Defence Force who say canny people smugglers are taking advantage of a system designed to save lives.

Advertisement The issue of asylum seekers remains deadlocked in Canberra. Former defence chief Angus Houston is heading a panel of experts to find a way through the political impasse. He is due to report back before August 14.

[Jonas Profile]

Asylum seeker boat intercepted near oil rig

http://au.news.yahoo.com/latest/a/-/lat ... r-oil-rig/

Customs says a group of asylum seekers will be taken to the mainland after their boat was stopped off the Australian coast.

The boat was stopped about 184 kilometres north-west of Darwin and was understood to be carrying 58 passengers and three crew.

Customs says those on board the boat originally tried to request food, water and fuel from an oil and gas rig in the area.

But the rig workers contacted Australian authorities who went to intercept the boat

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[Jonas Profile]

Another asylum seeker boat intercepted

http://au.news.yahoo.com/latest/a/-/lat ... tercepted/

A boat carrying 112 suspected asylum seekers has been intercepted off Christmas Island.

The boat was intercepted northwest of the island by Border Protection on Monday night.

HMAS Childers assisted the vessel at the request of the Australian Maritime Safety Authority.

"Initial indications suggest there are 112 passengers and two crew members on board," a statement from Customs and Border Protection said on Tuesday

I reckon if this was on the evening news everyday people would say something

[Jonas Profile]

Another asylum seeker boat intercepted

http://au.news.yahoo.com/latest/a/-/lat ... tercepted/

An asylum seeker boat carrying about 65 people has been intercepted off Christmas Island.

ACV Triton, operating under the control of Border Protection Command, intercepted the vessel north of the island overnight.

The boat had earlier been spotted by a Customs and Border Protection Dash 8 surveillance aircraft

They are coming so fast it is hard to keep up with them

[Jonas Profile]

Nine boats intercepted this week

http://au.news.yahoo.com/latest/a/-/lat ... this-week/

Nine boats carrying a total of 443 suspected asylum seekers have been intercepted off the West Australian coast this week.

Two more boats were intercepted on Friday to take the total to nine vessels since July 16.