Australia ships illegal
migrants back to China WebPosted Thu Aug
19 17:34:22 1999
CANBERRA, AUSTRALIA - Australia has deported
101 Chinese citizens caught trying to sneak into the country on
boats this spring.
'They shouldn't
believe the lies peddled by people traffickers'
| Thursday's move was made to try to
discourage others from making a similar journey, the government
said.
Australia also released a statement in China warning people that
anyone who tries to enter the country illegally will be detained.
"I hope that the very public return of the group will send a
strong message to others that they shouldn't believe the lies
peddled by people traffickers," Australia's Minister of Immigration
said.
The world needs to know that "Australia is not such a soft touch
when it comes to illegal boatpeople," Philip Ruddock added.
In case the threat is not enough, Australia plans to spend more
money on coastal surveillance.
In the first six months of this year, more than 600 illegal
migrants have been nabbed trying to get into Australia by sea. Most
were from China. Some paid more than $20,000 US for the voyage.
Two boats carrying a total of more than 250 Chinese citizens have
been stopped by Canadian officials off the West Coast in the past
month.
Many of the passengers have applied for refugee status.
Authorities plan to prosecute the people who organized the scheme.
Canadian investigators say "human smuggling" is a growing problem
worldwide.
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