The Wire

The immigration department confirmed today that three West Papua asylum seekers reached the Torres Strait island of Boigu three days ago, fleeing persecution from their home province. Their arrival follows a group of 43 that made it to the mainland in January – all but one were granted asylum, sparking the ongoing row with Indonesia, which controls their province. But due to government legislation passed in 2002 with the support of the Labor Opposition, they are not considered to have reached Australia’s migration zone. While a spokesperson from the Department declined to comment on where the group is likely to be moved to next, Ian Rintool from the Refugee Action Co-alition, says that they will most likely be sent to Christmas Island. The Wire spoke with him and Stuart Rees, the director of Sydney University’s centre for Peace and Conflict Studies, ending that report by Erica Vowles.