"There are many Australian in Lombok who work as teachers and miners."Mataram (ANTARA News) - Australian Consul-General Brett Farmer on Monday held a meeting with Australians living in Lombok Island, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB), to ensure their well-being.
"Last night we met with Australians living in Lombok. I hope they remain safe and comfortable and don`t face any problems," he said in his conversation with NTB Regional Secretary H. Muhammad Nur in Mataram on Tuesday.
Brett had initially planned to meet with NTB Governor TGH M. Zainul Majdi, but the governor was unavailable on account of a visit to another area.
He said many Australian vacationers visited Lombok, while others worked there as teachers and mining employees.
"There are many Australian in Lombok who work as teachers and miners. We have discussed about their condition there, and everything is going well," Brett noted.
He said many Australian people faced problems in Bali Island, expressing hope that those in Lombok would not have to deal with similar challenges.
Brett pointed out that many illegal immigrants from other countries still used Lombok Island as a transit point on their way to Australia.
"Sometimes, large vessels carrying up to 140 passengers try to enter our territories. However, the Australian Embassy and the Australian Federal Police appreciate the efforts of Indonesian Police and the NTB administration in preventing such illegal immigrants from entering Australia," he said.
Secretary Nur confirmed that the provincial government always supported the NTB Regional Police in controlling the infiltration of illegal immigrants into Australia.
"We support the police and Indonesia Armed Forces (TNI) in their efforts to stop illegal immigrants from entering Australian waters," he said.
Nur also stated that Lombok was not yet as popular among Australian tourists as it was among European and Asian tourists, who flock to the island in large numbers every year.
(U.B019/INE/KR-BSR/B003)
Editor: Priyambodo RH
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