April 8, 2024
People who arrive by boat seeking a better life or even asylum "won't be settled in Australia", Anthony Albanese has said as he doubles down on his government's commitment to the Coalition's Operation Sovereign Borders policy following another undetected mainland arrival.
The latest illegal maritime arrivals to reach Western Australia's far north Kimberley coastline were the third known group since November and the first Chinese to reach Australia by boat since 2012.
All but one of the group was put on a charter jet to Nauru on Sunday.
There were varying reports about the size of the group but late on Sunday The Australian was told a total of 10 men, all believed to be Chinese, were delivered to the mainland near Truscott.
The group wandered into the airbase about 4pm on Friday. On Saturday, WA police confirmed they were looking for one of the men. It was not clear if he had arrived at Truscott with the group then absconded or if he got lost before the group arrived at the airstrip. A massive land search using drones ended on Sunday morning when the man was found standing on a track nearby.
WA police reported he was in "relatively good condition". He, too, was expected to be flown to Nauru late on Sunday or on Monday morning.
Speaking to reporters at a Sikh community event in Melbourne on Sunday, the Prime Minister was adamant that the border control principles established by the Abbott government remained in place. "We will deal with any unauthorised arrivals consistent with Operation Sovereign Borders, and that's what we've done," Mr Albanese said.
"(T)here's been no change in policy since 2013. We'll use all avenues at our disposal to make sure that the borders are protected and make sure we respond in accordance with the principles of Operation Sovereign Borders. And that's what we have, again, done on this occasion." Mr Albanese made the statements as the Coalition's home affairs spokesman, James Paterson, lashed the government for "demonstrable failures on their watch". "Three boats through to the Australian mainland, 13 attempted since the election, hundreds of attempted asylum-seekers coming to our country as a direct result of the government's attempts to undermine our successful border protection policies," Senator Paterson said.
"We warned them before they abolished temporary protection visas that that would give people an incentive to get on the boats again to try and come again.
"And lo and behold, that's exactly what's happened.
"If this government had followed our advice, kept in place our successful policies, this wouldn't be happening." Australian Border Force has sent extra resources to Australia's northwest as part of its response to what is believed to be a new business model in the people-smuggling trade.
Operation Sovereign Borders commander Rear Admiral Brett Sonter told The Australian last month he had re-positioned key personnel and hardware on land, in the air and at sea to detect and disrupt criminal people-smugglers and illegal fishers amid increased threats in Australia's northwest.
Rear Admiral Sonter, who Continued on Page 5
We'll use all avenues at our disposal to make sure that the borders are protected ANTHONY ALBANESE
Continued from Page 1 replaced Justin Jones as OSB commander in January, ordered an "enhanced posture" after a series of people-smuggling ventures linked with faster fishing boats and new tactics to breach maritime borders.
For decades, smugglers in Indonesia have put paying customers on rickety, slow boats and instructed crew to drive the vessels towards locations where they were likely to be intercepted, mainly Christmas Island but also Ashmore Reef and Cocos (Keeling) Islands.
On each occasion, a cheap boat was used because Australia's border authorities always burn vessels after interception. However, recent ventures have evaded detection and no boats from any of the last three known ventures have been found.
The Australian has been told the ABF is aware smugglers have recently switched to valuable boats that can travel up to 20 knots.
They may also be instructing their passengers to hide in the bush for a few days after being dropped off before seeking help.
This gives the people-smugglers a better chance of getting their vessel into international waters before the alarm is raised.
"Well, people-smugglers will always try to change their methods in order to ply what is the dangerous trade," Mr Albanese said.
"But there is no change to Operation Sovereign Borders. It's important that that message be sent.
"And once again, through the response of the Australian government, that message will be sent very clearly again to the region." There has been an increase in the number of aerial patrols along the Kimberley coast since November after a group of unauthorised boat arrivals all adult males reached Truscott.
In February a second boatload of 39 men arrived undetected on the Kimberley's Dampier Peninsula, north of Broome, and dispersed into the bush in two groups.
Members of the first group presented themselves at the community of Beagle Bay while members of the second group told locals at Pender Bay they were going to run and hide. An Aboriginal man gave the second group food and water and convinced them to wait for police to arrive.
The area OSB patrols off the Kimberley coast is about twice the size of Victoria.
"We have a very large coastline. What is clear though is that people who are unauthorised arrivals won't be settled in Australia.
Operation Sovereign Border principles will apply as they have been in this case," Mr Albanese said.
The World War II Truscott airbase, known as Mungalalu North Kimberley Airport, is owned by the Wunambal Gaambera people.
They lease it to a private operator and the base supports helicopter logistics to offshore oil and gas rigs.
The Australian has been told the traditional owners of the region are worried that someone will die on their country if peoplesmugglers continue to deliver clients to the stretch of coast closest to the airstrip.
The terrain is inhospitable, it is hot, and big saltwater crocodiles inhabit the waterways including all freshwater sources.
Since the Albanese government was elected in May 2022, those who travelled to Australia by boat or sailed close to Australian territories have been swiftly returned to their country of origin or sent to Nauru.
The exception late on Sunday was the man found in the land search when nine of his fellow travellers were already en route to Nauru. He was in the custody of border force officials on Sunday evening and arrangements were being made for his removal to Nauru.
Although lawyers who have represented the interests of asylum-seekers do not like Australia's regional processing regime, they have told The Australian there is currently no appetite to challenge Nauru transfers because the High Court has ruled these are lawful.
Immigration lawyers contacted by The Australian on Sunday did not believe a legal challenge to transfers such as the one completed on Sunday would succeed.
Home Affairs Minister Clare O'Neil renewed Nauru as a designated regional processing country in February last year, making it an ongoing option for Australia to send any unauthorised maritime arrivals there, including children and people with asylum claims.
'There is no change to Operation Sovereign Borders.
It's important that that message be sent' ANTHONY ALBANESE RECENT ARRIVALS Darwin Mungalalu Truscott airbase Nov 22, 2023 Beagle Bay Feb 16 12 migrants land near 39 men land on the Mungalalu Truscott Dampier Peninsula Friday Port Hedland 10 people land near Truscott NT WA SA Drone activity on Sunday out of Truscott airbase
