SYDNEY – The Australian navy has intercepted a suspected people-smuggling boat carrying 65 asylum seekers, officials said, the second vessel stopped in 24 hours off the country's northwest coast.
- The HMAS Maitland intercepted the vessel on Saturday night about three nautical miles from Ashmore Island, Home Affairs Minister Brendan O'Connor said.
- Earlier Saturday, the same navy patrol boat stopped another boat carrying 83 asylum seekers about 80 nautical miles south of Ashmore Island, an uninhabited Australian territory in the Indian Ocean.
- All 148 asylum seekers and seven crew members who were operating the two boats would be transferred to an immigration detention centre on Christmas Island, O'Connor said.
- Some 21 illegal vessels have been stopped this year, three in the past week.
- More than 1,000 would-be refugees have been detained by Australian authorities this year, and the government has warned there are thousands more waiting in neighbouring Indonesia, a key staging post for people smugglers.
- Australia's conservative opposition has blamed the centre-left government for the influx, saying its softening of refugee policies is encouraging people-smugglers.
- But O'Connor said international unrest was to blame for the surge in boat numbers, not government policy.
- "Situations around the world mean that large numbers of displaced persons are looking for settlement in wealthy, developed nations like Australia and can be targeted by, and fall prey to, people smugglers," he said.
- "The Australian government remains vigilant and committed to protecting Australia?s borders."
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