Detained Illegal Immigrants In Rote Not Yet Deported

Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara, May 16 (Antara) - All 12 illegal immigrants from Sudan who were detained early this month in Rote island, East Nusa Tenggara province, have yet to be deported. "They have yet to be deported because we are still waiting for a recommendation letter from the Immigration Directorate of the Law and Human Rights Ministry in Jakarta," Kupang Immigration Office chief Silvester Sili Laba said here on Thursday. He said the 12 illegal immigrants from Sudan were detained in Rote island early this month because they did not have any immigration document. "We will deport all illegal immigrants to their respective countries of origin in accordance with existing regulation of international law," he noted. Sili added that the Kupang Immigration Office would involve international institutions such as the International Organization for Migration (IOM). According to him, 96 illegal immigrants had been detained in East Nusa Tenggara during January until May 2013. He pointed out that number detained illegal immigrants rose by around 200 percent from that of the same period in 2012 which was only 30 persons. Sili said the illegal immigrants were detained in Rote Ndao and Kupang Bay before they crossed to Australia by traditional fishing boats to seek political asylum there. They were from Vietnam, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Sudan, Somalia, and India. Sili Laba added that the illegal immigrants tried to use a number of places in East Nusa Tenggara as a transit before crossing to Australia. "East Nusa Tenggara is an ideal place for illegal immigrants from other countries to Australia," Sili said. The illegal immigrants had been known trying to hide in small islands in East Nusa Tenggara, before they found fishing boats to be hired to carry them to Australia. But he said that now the police have intensified patrol in the sea around the islands, giving little room for the illegal immigrants to escape detection.