A total of 183 Sri Lankan nationals who had been seeking asylum in Australia were sent back, Commander Maritime Border Command and Commander of Joint Task agency Task Force, Operation Sovereign Borders Rear Admiral Justin Jones said.
According to The New India Express, Rear Admiral Jones made the observation when participating in the Heads of Asian Coast Guard Agencies Meeting in New Delhi, India.
Revealing that the Sri Lankan refugees are from six irregular maritime ventures attempting to reach Australia, Rear Admiral Justin Jones said the Sri Lankan nationals are trying to enter Australia in fishing boats that are not seaworthy.
“It takes around 21 days to reach Australia from Sri Lanka. We will stop any maritime people smuggling vessels seeking to reach Australia, and safely return those on board to their point of departure or country of origin, or if required, transfer them to a regional processing country,” Rear Admiral Jones said. (NewsWire)