Asylum on the rocks and in a pub



A GROUP of asylum seekers had to be rescued after their boat crashed on to rocks off the remote Cocos Islands.


The 32 passengers were last night being accommodated at a pub after they were helped from their stricken vessel by the Australian Federal Police on Saturday night.

Cocos Club president John Clunies-Ross said: “Either they’ve tried to beach and they’ve stuffed the boat up or the boat was stuffed up before they tried to beach.”

It is the third time this year an asylum seeker boat has reached the remote islands, located between Australia and Sri Lanka.

Mr Clunies-Ross told Channel 7 last night: “We’re basically left with people stealing (from) my pub every time they need something.”

Customs was last night arranging for the passengers to be taken to Christmas Island for initial security, health and identity checks.

The latest arrival has taken the total number of people to arrive by boat in the first 10 days of June to almost 500.

It is rare for vessels to reach the Cocos Islands, which was the scene of a multiple drowning two years ago when five asylum seekers died after they tried to swim from their stricken vessel.

Immigration Minister Chris Bowen and Home Affairs Minister Jason Clare once again blamed the arrival on Opposition Leader Tony Abbott.

 

 

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