Such a condition needs serious attention from all related parties in the provinceKupang, NTT (ANTARA News) - The number of illegal immigrants in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) on the way to Australia in the past three years continued to increase drastically.
East Nusa Tenggara Police spokesman Brig Gen Yorry Yance Worang said here on Monday that in 2008 the number of illegal immigrants who had been arrested reached 52, and last year their number had reached 452.
"Such a condition needs serious attention from all related parties in the province," Yorry said in a meeting with the provincial legislative assembly (DPRD).
He said that in 2009 their number rose from 52 to 172 and in 2010 further to 452, and by February this year there were 98.
Yorry explained that in an identification process it was discovered that the illegal immigrants came from Afghanistan, Pakistan, Myanmar, India, Iraq, and some other Middle East countries.
He said the illegal immigrants from those countries arrived in the province without legal papers because they wanted to seek political asylum in a third country, Australia.
According to Yorry, the increasing number of illegal immigrants arriving in NTT was due to its proximity with Australia that enabled them to cross and reach the country from the province easily.(*)
Editor: Aditia Maruli Radja
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