Operation Sovereign Borders Deports Asylum Seekers From Christmas Island To Colombo

An asylum boat carrying 15 Sri Lankan men was intercepted near Australian shores in the early hours of yesterday morning.

It is the second boat in the last month intercepted under Australia’s border protection regime and believed to have left Sri Lanka on May 21, the day former Prime Minister Scott Morrison lost office.

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The men were brought onto shore at Christmas Island before immediately being taken to Katunayake Airport where a government-chartered airplane flew the men to Colombo.

Shadow Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews told The Australian that it was expected to be incoming asylum seekers as Sri Lanka’s economic crisis bolstered people-smugglers to test Australia’s new federal government.

“I have consistently said people smugglers are watching. And they clearly are. This is exactly what the (former) Coalition said would happen and it is happening,” she said.

“The Albanese government needs to urgently explain how it is going to manage illegal boat arrivals and ensure people smugglers aren’t selling passage because of the change in government.”

The deportation is similar to that on May 25 where 12 Sri Lankan men where again flown from Christmas Island to Colombo.

A third boat was also intercepted on Tuesday which carried 76 people on board, including five children.

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