23 April 2009

More asylum seekers found emigrating to Australia via boat

More people were found to be emigrating to Australia on illegal boats yesterday, just one week after another people smuggling boat exploded, killing five asylum seekers and severely burning and injuring dozens of others.

The boat found yesterday carrying 32 Sri Lankans emigrating to Australia was intercepted by Australian immigration officials off the Western Australian coast, making it the seventh interception of people emigrating to Australia illegally this year.

While the Opposition has said the Government's "soft" immigration laws are responsible for the high numbers of people smuggling boats caught in Australian waters, The Age reports Home Affairs Minister Bob Debus as saying that worsening conditions in Afghanistan and Sri Lanka are the cause behind the surge in people emigrating to Australia illegally.

"We are... concerned that there will be a surge of people coming from the consequences of the terrible fighting that has been going on between Tamil and the Sinhalese people."

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The Australian Visa Bureau is an independent consulting company specialising in helping people with emigrating to Australia.