Illegal immigrants escape
13 August 2010 | 06:01:18 PM | Source: AAP
<!-- /.heading --> <!--- Video --> A group of illegal migrants escaped from an Indonesian detention centre on Friday and was believed to be heading for Australia, where boatpeople are a hot issue ahead of elections next week, an official said.
<!---------- End conditions ----------> Local immigration office head I Gusti Ngurah Rai said the 21 from Afghanistan, Iraq and Iran were among 44 people who ran away from the detention centre in Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara province. Officials managed to arrest 23 of the migrants in Kupang town.
"The 21 people may have left to Australia using different boats," he told AFP. "Some witnesses said that seven migrants had rented a boat and left this morning to Australia," he added. Indonesia has been a key staging point for people smugglers taking migrants on the perilous sea journey south to Australia.
Australia's political leaders are seeking to appear tough on border protection and boatpeople while campaigning for August 21 elections. More than 1000 migrants from countries including Burma, Afghanistan, Iraq, Sri Lanka and Pakistan have been caught in Indonesia since November last year.
