THE Department of Immigration and Citizenship was taken by surprise yesterday when Christmas Island residents spotted a large boat carrying almost 200 asylum-seekers motoring into Flying Fish Cove.
Residents of the suburb known as The Kampong saw the boat from the windows of their waterfront flats as it approached the jetty shortly after 3pm local time yesterday (7pm AEDT).
The navy vessel HMAS Larrakia was standing off the cove when the boat arrived, and Immigration officers rushed to the scene.
Home Affairs Minister Brendan O'Connor said last night the boat had 181 passengers, including women and children, and four crew on board. It is understood some of those on board are Hazaras from Afghanistan.
The process of unloading the asylum-seekers began about 4pm.
They are the ninth boatload of asylum-seekers to be unloaded at Christmas Island this year.
Before this boatload, there were 1595 asylum-seekers in the island's detention centre, which has a capacity of 1848.
-The Australian
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