A BOAT carrying 58 passengers and four crew was intercepted by Customs and Border Protection Command last night - the 60th and final boat to arrive in 2009.
One man suffering what was described as a “serious medical condition” was taken immediately to the mainland for treatment.
The Australian understands the man was gravely ill with septicaemia following a recent operation.
The boat was intercepted north of Ashmore Island at 10.15pm on New Year's Eve.
The boat's arrival comes amid fresh debate about how to handle the surge in arrivals.
On Wednesday, Liberal leader Tony Abbott attracted criticism following his pledge to tow seaworthy asylum boats back out to sea.
The proposal, which was also endorsed by Kevin Rudd prior to the last election, was attacked by refugee groups and church leaders as dangerous, illegal and inhumane.
A total of 60 boats carrying 2727 passengers and 138 crew arrived in 2009.
The arrivals represented a huge spike on the previous year, where just 161 people arrived by boat.
The opposition has blamed the spike on a series of measures by Labor aimed at softening Australia's treatment of refugees.
But the government says increasing instability and violence in source countries like Sri Lanka and Afghanistan is to blame.
-ABC 2009
Hazara News Western Australia
www.hazarawa.blogspot.com
hazaranewswa@yahoo.com
1 comment:
about 105 musafir boat in oct,2009
plz ....inform me....
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