- Asylum seekers found wandering around Broome, WA
- They are 30 men believed to be from Pakistan and Bangladesh
An investigation has been launched after 30 asylum seekers were found on the side of the road near Broome after arriving illegally by boat.
Beagle Bay is a small community about 128km north of Broome in Western Australia
Residents of the indigenous community Beagle Bay, about 128km north of Broome, told ABC News about 30 men, who were believed to be from Pakistan and Bangladesh, were spotted seeking shade in bushes on Cape Leveque Road about 10am Friday.
They reportedly took them to Beagle Bay, 128km north of Broome.
The men were reportedly in good health, dressed in T-shirts and trousers, and were given water at the local store as temperatures soared past 32C.
No boat has been found in the area, with authorities probing the possibility the group were dropped off by Indonesian fisherman.
One man told the ABC the group spent five days at sea, travelling from Indonesia to Australia.
After being dropped off on the beach, the group walked for around 35km, he said, before they were picked up by locals.
The man said he previously lived in Australia but, when his visa was declined, he was deported back to Pakistan where he was arrested and tortured.
Some of the men are pictured in a park
Australian Border Force authorities have arrived at the remote town around 12pm and have launched an investigation.
‘The ABF is undertaking an operation in the north west of Western Australia. As this operation is ongoing, no further information will be provided,’ a spokesperson said.
‘Australia’s tough border protection policies means no one who travels unauthorised by boat will ever be allowed to settle permanently in Australia.
‘The only way to travel to Australia is legally, with an Australian visa.
The spokesperson said Australia remains ‘committed to protecting its borders, stamping out people smuggling and preventing vulnerable people from risking their lives on futile journeys’.
Anthony Albanese told reporters he had no information about it.
‘I’ve been travelling in the car, so I haven’t been advised about that,’ he said.
‘But our policies are clear, which is that boats that arrive in that fashion … we have policies in place that ensure they are dealt with.’
Authorities are investigating whether the group were dropped off by Indonesian fishermen after no boats were discovered in the area
Beagle Bay is a First Nations settlement with a population of around 348 people nestled in the Kimberley region of WA. Pictured: A road leading towards Beagle Bay
‘The people smuggling business model is built on the exploitation of information and selling lies to vulnerable people who will give up everything to risk their lives at sea,’ they said.
It comes after 12 asylum seekers were found at Truscott-Mungalalu Airbase in the Kimberley region in November.
The group, who were from Pakistan, were swiftly picked up and flown to Nauru by Australian Border Force.
They had reportedly paid $15,250 each fpr the journey from Indonesia, with authorities believing they had been dropped off by fisherman after no boats were found in the area.
More to come.
