RI, A'LIA STEP UP COOPERATION TO ADDRESS ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS

Bogor, W Java, Apr 20 (ANTARA) - President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said Indonesia and Australia have a commitment to step up their cooperation to address the issue of illegal immigrants whose number has continued to increase since early this year.

Speaking to the press at his residence in Cikeas, Bogor, on Sunday, Yudhoyono said he discussed the matter with Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd by phone earlier in the day.
Indonesia has so far served as a transit point for illegal immigrants who are destined to travel illegally to Australia.
"This morning I had long discussion with Prime Minister Kevin Rudd about bilateral cooperation to address the matter. Australia as a country of destination and Indonesia as a transit point of illegal immigrants need to work closely," he said.
Both Indonesia and Australia are aware of an increase in the number of illegal immigrants travelling illegally to the two countries in recent months, he said.
In the May-December 2008 period, the number of illegal immigrants who used Indonesia as a transit point to travel illegally to Australia ran into a hundred. But their number swelled to 600 in the first three months of this year, he said.
"This is a drastic increase. Most of them were Afghans. It is likely that the security condition in Afghanistan or the global financial crisis has forced them to become illegal immigrants," he said.