80 'asylum seekers' arrive at Christmas Island
About 80 people including women and children and thought to be asylum seekers have arrived at Christmas Island.
Christmas Island councillor and Christmas Island Workers Union general secretary Gordon Thomson announced the arrival by twitter earlier today.
"State Secret #9 Approx 80 men women children disembarked 8-9.30 CI time rescued by 2 RAN patrolboats," he said in the tweet.
Then, shortly after, said: "State Secret #10 Woman deported to Nauru last week 22 weeks pregnant twins, Everyone concerned for her health. Bring her back Minister."
He followed that with another tweet this afternoon: State Secret#11 Follow flights from CI - tonight 34 men fly to Manus. Tomoro families to Nauru."
Mr Thomson said the boat thought to be carrying the 80 people that arrived today did not make it to Christmas Island.
News of the latest arrival came ahead of an update Operation Sovereign Borders from Immigration Minister Scott Morrison.
Prime Minister Tony Abbott starts a two-day trip to Indonesia this week with the asylum seeker issue hanging over the agenda.
Details of the latest arrival were not contained in the Minister's briefing because it "fell outside the reporting period".
The Government did give details of three boat arrivals in the past week, and that 128 people have been sent for offshore processing.
The first vessel was found on Tuesday carrying 18 people from India, who are being interviewed in Darwin, Operation Sovereign Borders acting commander Air Marshall Mark Binskin told reporters.
The group is expected to be returned to India.
Seven West Papuans were dropped off on an Australian island in the Torres Strait on Wednesday.
“All seven persons were returned to Papua New Guinea on Thursday,” Air Marshall Binskin said.
On Thursday, 70 people from a third boat were transferred to detention on Christmas Island.
He made only brief reference to a vessel intercepted overnight on Sunday, which carried 78 people, but was detected outside the weekly reporting period.
Air Marshal Binskin also defended the response of Australian authorities to the tragedy in which 31 people died after an asylum boat sank off Java.
The Government had been under fire for its alleged delayed response to the distressed vessel after some survivors said the tragedy could have been prevented.
Air Marshal Binskin praised the “professional and timely” response of authorities, saying “Australian authorities took every step available to them in responding to this incident”.
“Australian authorities conducted extensive work to attempt to locate the vessel, providing highly capable search aircraft and diverting up to four merchant ships,” he said.
“Despite these efforts no searching ships or aircraft ever sighted the vessel.”
Air Marshal Binskin disputed claims authorities had delayed their response by 26 hours.
“I would like to just clarify that at no point did AMSA (Australian Maritime Safety Authority) indicate that assistance would be provided in two hours, as has been reported to the media,“ he said.
“Nor was AMSA aware of the vessel for 26 hours prior to the vessel foundering, as has also been reported."
