INDONESIA: Over 100 asylum seekers from Iraq, Iran and Afghanistan heading for Australia are being held in Banten province after their boat suffered an engine failure

Record ID: 861793

  • Title: INDONESIA: Over 100 asylum seekers from Iraq, Iran and Afghanistan heading for Australia are being held in Banten province after their boat suffered an engine failure
  • Date: 25th May 2011
  • Summary: VARIOUS OF YOUNG GIRL ON BOAT YOUNG GIRL WITH HER MOTHER AN INDONESIAN OFFICIAL TALKS TO ASYLUM SEEKER (SOUNDBITE) (Bahasa Indonesia) IMMIGRATION OFFICIAL IN BANTEN PROVINCE, MUHAMMAD YASIN SAYING: "We gave them a medical check up, two of them have been brought to hospital." OFFICIALS TALKING TO ASYLUM SEEKERS VARIOUS OF ASYLUM SEEKER HOLDING A CHILD VARIOUS OF BUSES
  • Embargoed: 9th June 2011 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Indonesia, Indonesia
  • City:
  • Country: Indonesia
  • Topics: International Relations
  • Reuters ID: LVA80DPX7SZYY74RC6O0JHW1Z7Z2
  • Aspect Ratio:
  • Story Text: Over 100 asylum seekers from Iraq, Iran and Afghanistan heading to Australia were rescued by Indonesian officials on Monday (May 23) after their boat suffered an engine failure.
    The asylum seekers, including women and children, were found drifting in the sea off Panaitan island and taken to Tanjung Lesung resort.
    One man was grateful Indonesian officials came to their rescue.
    "And our ship was brokedown from downside and we were about to sink and official ship came and they saved our lives," Mehdi from Afghanistan said hoping they would help him get to Australia.
    Medical staff at the port carried out checks on the asylum seekers, one immigration official confirming two had been brought to hospital.
    "We gave them a medical check up, two of them have been brought to hospital," Muhammad Yasin an Immigration official in Banten province said.
    Yasin said the asylum seekers would be brought to a hotel in the Banten capital, Serang as there was no immigration centre in the area. He gave no indication what decision would be taken in regards to the group.
    Earlier this month, Canberra and Kuala Lumpur announced they had agreed a deal to process asylum-seekers caught heading to Australia in Malaysia.
    Australia tries to intercept boat-people in the Indian Ocean, detaining them on its remote Christmas Island for processing, which prevents asylum-seekers gaining greater legal rights by landing on the Australian mainland.
    It currently has more than 6,000 asylum seekers in detention, originating from countries including Iran, Iraq, Vietnam, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: Video restrictions: parts of this video may require additional clearances. Please see ‘Business Notes’ for more information.
Register