Indeed, around 40 illegal immigrants have been stranded in Jaringao..."Sukabumi (ANTARA News) - During 2013, the efforts of 984 illegal immigrants who tried to cross the waters of West Java provincial districts of Sukabumi and Cianjur to enter Australia were foiled, stated an immigration affairs officer.
"The illegal immigrants who were prevented from crossing into Australia, mostly hailed from conflicting countries in the Middle East and some from Bangladesh," Head of the Sukabumi immigration office Eryana Sastra informed ANTARA News here.
According to him, all the 984 illegal immigrants were moved or detained in several immigrant detention centers (Rudemin) in Indonesia, including some 269 people in Bogor Rudemin.
Apart from those detained in the Rudemin, 18 illegal immigrants were deported to Jordan and one to Lebanon.
Eryana further added that most of the illegal immigrants who struggled to cross over to Australia, originated from Iran, Iraq, and Afghanistan, and they were afraid to return to their respective countries as they feared for the safety of their lives and will be hunted by the authorities in their countries.
All the needs of the illegal immigrants housed in detention centers are taken care of by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), he noted.
Meanwhile, on Wednesday (Feb. 5, 2014), tens of illegal immigrants from the Middle Eastern region were stranded in Sukabumi after being rejected and turned back by Australia to the immigration detention center in Cisarua, Bogor, West Java.
"Indeed, around 40 illegal immigrants have been stranded in Jaringao in the village of Gunungbatu, Ciracap, within a conservation area," Resort Head Dulman Effendi informed the media.
He stated that the incident took place on January 16, and according to the information received, the security guards of the local community found them.
Dulman also disclosed that the asylum seekers had actually arrived at the island during Christmas, but were then forced by Australia to turn back to Indonesia and were finally stranded at Ciracap.
They returned to Indonesia or Sukabumi on an orange lifeboat that belonged to the Australian authorities.
The asylum seekers later returned to Bogor, West Java, via public transport.
(Reporting by Aditya A Rohman/Uu.B003/INE/KR-BSR/A014)
Editor: Priyambodo RH
Copyright © ANTARA 2014
