The 157 Tamil asylum seekers, who had been drifting in the ocean off the coast of Christmas Island for four weeks, are to be transferred to an immigration centre on mainland Australia on Saturday, reports the Sydney Morning Herald.
This would be the first time asylum seekers have been accepted onto mainland Australia in over six months.
Indian authorities will be coming to "identify" and accept back any Indian nationals on board, Australia's Immigration minister Scott Morrison was quoted by the paper as saying.
According to the Guardian, the asylum seekers will be detained at Curtin detention centre in Western Australia, after the boat lands on the Cocos Islands on Saturday.
See related articles:
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This would be the first time asylum seekers have been accepted onto mainland Australia in over six months.
Indian authorities will be coming to "identify" and accept back any Indian nationals on board, Australia's Immigration minister Scott Morrison was quoted by the paper as saying.
According to the Guardian, the asylum seekers will be detained at Curtin detention centre in Western Australia, after the boat lands on the Cocos Islands on Saturday.
See related articles:
India agrees to investigate asylum seekers detained in Australian waters (23 Jul 2014)
Amnesty condemns detainment of Tamil asylum seekers on Australian patrol boat (23 July 2014)
Australia may have breached refugee convention by returning asylum seekers to Sri Lanka - UNHCR (16 July 2014)
Global body of academics condemn Australia's treatment of asylum seekers (14 Jul 2014)
Australia confirms intercepting second boat of asylum seekers, looks to make deportation decision on Friday (08 Jul 2014)
Asylum seekers deported by Australia face high risk of torture in Sri Lanka - Amnesty International (08 July 2014)
Australian High Court blocks return of asylum seekers (07 Jul 2014)
Australia confirms handing over first boat to SL authorities, second boat remains unaccounted for (07 Jul 2014)
Concern grows for 153 Tamil asylum seekers at sea (29 Jun 2014)
Tamil asylum seekers stranded in Australian waters, Abbott deflects questions (27 Jun 2014)