Christmas Island

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Afghan people smuggler jailed in Indonesia

By Staff Reporter AFP Asian Edition

Feb 20, 2013 04:59 EST

An Afghan man who helped organise an Australia-bound boat trip on which 90 asylum seekers drowned was sentenced Wednesday to six years' jail in Indonesia for people-smuggling.

Indonesia detains 26 Australia-bound asylum seekers

By Staff Reporter AFP Asian Edition

Feb 19, 2013 03:39 EST

Indonesian police have arrested 26 Sri Lankan asylum seekers who were stranded after their boat hit a reef as they tried to reach Australia's Christmas Island, an official said Tuesday.

New Zealand strikes refugee deal with Australia

By Staff Reporter AFP Asian Edition

Feb 08, 2013 23:21 EST

New Zealand is to accept 150 refugees a year from Australia, Prime Minister John Key said on Saturday, to ease pressure on Canberra which is grappling with a surge in boatpeople heading to the region.

Memories haunt sole survivor of asylum boat tragedy

by Olivia Rondonuwu AFP South Asian Edition

Jan 22, 2013 03:54 EST

The image of his fellow passengers slowly succumbing to Indonesia's unforgiving waters is one that Habibullah -- the Afghan sole survivor of an asylum-seeker boat tragedy -- will never shake off.

People-smuggler jailed for 14 years in Australia

By Staff Reporter AFP Asian Edition

Oct 22, 2012 03:48 EDT

An Iranian-born man was jailed for 14 years on Monday for organising at least four people-smuggling boats from Indonesia to Australia, including an ill-fated vessel which crashed, killing 50 people.

Australia defends PNG refugee plan despite UN concern

By Staff Reporter AFP Asian Edition

Oct 12, 2012 03:06 EDT

Australia on Friday said it was on track to send asylum-seekers to impoverished Papua New Guinea despite the United Nations raising concerns about the country's ability to handle refugees.

Indonesia arrests 97 Australia-bound migrants

By Staff Reporter AFP Asian Edition

Oct 09, 2012 14:01 EDT

Indonesian police have arrested 80 Pakistanis and 17 Afghans stranded after their boat hit a reef as they tried to reach Australia's Christmas Island, an official said Tuesday.

More Sri Lankans go home rather than face Nauru: Australia

By Staff Reporter AFP Asian Edition

Sep 29, 2012 03:08 EDT

Two men who were sent from Australia to the tiny Pacific nation of Nauru are among a group of 28 Sri Lankans who dropped their asylum claims and are returning home, the government said Saturday.

S. Lanka boatpeople choose return over Australia asylum

By Staff Reporter AFP Asian Edition

Sep 22, 2012 03:34 EDT

A group of Sri Lankans have chosen to return to their homeland rather than apply for asylum in Australia, where they faced being sent to a Pacific island for processing, the government said Saturday.

Sri Lankan boatpeople choose return over Australia asylum

By Staff Reporter AFP Asian Edition

Sep 22, 2012 02:40 EDT

A group of Sri Lankans have chosen to return to their homeland rather than apply for asylum in Australia, where they faced being sent to a Pacific island for processing, the government said Saturday.

First Australia asylum-seekers taken to Nauru

By Staff Reporter AFP Asian Edition

Sep 14, 2012 02:47 EDT

The first planeload of asylum-seekers sent to the tiny Pacific nation of Nauru arrived on Friday as part of Canberra's tough new stance on tackling a record influx of boatpeople.

Australian families reach out to boatpeople

by Elodie Raitiere AFP Asian Edition

Sep 09, 2012 06:55 EDT

After 22 days on a boat fleeing Sri Lanka and more than five months in detention, asylum-seeker Jeevan Nanthakumar recently unpacked his suitcases in the home of an Australian pensioner couple.

Asylum seekers refuse to leave boat in Indonesia

By Staff Reporter AFP South Asian Edition

Sep 07, 2012 12:09 EDT

More than 50 Australia-bound asylum seekers from Sri Lanka have refused to leave their boat after it was found stranded off Indonesia's Sumatra island a week ago, officials said Friday.

Hopes fade for more survivors from Indonesia asylum boat

By Staff Reporter AFP Global Edition

Aug 30, 2012 20:50 EDT

The search was to resume Friday for more survivors from an asylum-seeker boat that disappeared off the Indonesian coast, but hopes were rapidly fading with a crucial rescue window closing.

55 found alive from missing Indonesia asylum boat

by Martin Parry AFP Global Edition

Aug 30, 2012 08:46 EDT

Rescuers plucked 55 survivors from the ocean on Thursday, more than a day after an asylum-seeker boat heading for Australia disappeared off the Indonesian coast with 150 people aboard.

22 found alive from missing Indonesia asylum boat

by Martin Parry AFP Asian Edition

Aug 30, 2012 04:54 EDT

Rescuers plucked 22 survivors from the ocean on Thursday, more than a day after an asylum-seeker boat heading for Australia disappeared off the Indonesian coast with 150 people including children aboard.

Six found alive from missing Indonesia asylum boat

by Martin Parry AFP Asian Edition

Aug 30, 2012 04:01 EDT

Six people were plucked alive from the ocean by a cargo ship and other survivors were spotted Thursday, a day after an asylum-seeker boat disappeared off the Indonesian coast with 150 people aboard.

Six found alive from missing Indonesia asylum boat

by Martin Parry AFP Asian Edition

Aug 29, 2012 22:00 EDT

Six people were plucked alive from the ocean by a cargo ship Thursday after an asylum-seeker boat went missing off the Indonesian coast, but there was no sign of up to 144 others on board.

Indonesia abandons search for asylum-seeker boat

By Staff Reporter AFP Asian Edition

Aug 29, 2012 04:46 EDT

Rescuers have abandoned a search for a boat carrying an estimated 150 asylum seekers reported sinking in Indonesia's Sunda Strait after failing to find the vessel, an official said Wednesday.