Border Force Investigating After Suspected Asylum Seekers Arrive on Australian Shores

An Australian navy boat cruises by Christmas Island on Feb. 29. A boatload of asylum seekers from China decided to seek refugee status in Australia rather than attempt the dangerous journey onto New Zealand. Paula Bronstein/Getty Images

Australian Border Force (ABF)  are investigating after a group of more than 20 men from Bangladesh and Pakistan told locals in a remote Western Australian town they arrived by boat.

Border Force confirmed they were conducting an operation in the northwest of the state on Feb. 16, saying anyone who arrived by boat would never be able to settle permanently in Australia.

The group of men were pictured in the town of Beagle Bay looking relaxed in a park and were in good health after travelling by boat from Indonesia, according to a local reporter at the scene from ABC.

Residents discovered the men in the township, which is about 100 kilometres north of Broome, at about 9.30 a.m. in Western Australian time.

In a statement, the Border Force said, “The ABF is undertaking an operation in the northwest of Western Australia. As this operation is ongoing, no further information will be provided.”

“Australia’s tough border protection policies means no one who travels unauthorised by boat will ever be allowed to settle permanently in Australia. The only way to travel to Australia is legally, with an Australian visa.​”

Asked about the arrival, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was not able to provide any detail, saying he had been on the road.

“I’ve been travelling by car, so I haven’t been advised about that. But our policies are very very clear. Boats that arrive in that fashion, we have policies in place to ensure that they’re dealt with,” he said in quotes cited by the Sydney Morning Herald.

Opposition Leader Demands Answers

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton jumped on the news of the suspected boat’s arrival to demand the prime minister and Home Affairs Minister Clare O'Neil explain to the Australian public.

“I think the prime minister here needs to answer some serious questions, Minister O'Neil needs to stand up today and provide an explanation to the Australian public about what is going on and how the Australian government has lost control of our borders,” he said in a press conference.

“I think the prime minister has had a shocking week, he hasn’t been able to answer questions in relation to releasing 149 criminals into the community, and I think there are very significant issues when the prime minister of our country is not even aware, hasn’t received any briefing, doesn’t have the protections put in place, with surveillance mechanisms to pick up a boat that arrives on our shores.

“We don’t know any of the detail yet because the prime minister is refusing to provide the detail and claims he doesn’t know anything about it, and yet if the prime minister doesn’t know anything about it, and the minister doesn’t know anything about it, it demonstrates the government has lost control of our borders.

“Clearly, the settings that the government has got in place aren’t sufficient. The prime minister is showing a lack of leadership, a lack of strength, and a weakness that is music to the ears of these people smugglers.”

The ABF said Australia “remains committed to protecting its borders, stamping out people smuggling and preventing vulnerable people from risking their lives on futile journeys.”

“The people smuggling business model is built on the exploitation of information and selling lies to vulnerable people who will give up everything to risk their lives at sea,” the ABF said.