FED: Chronology of recent boatpeople landings

AAP General News (Australia)
08-14-1999
FED: Chronology of recent boatpeople landings

CANBERRA, August 14 AAP - Recent boat people arrivals:

* December 25, 1998 - 52 Chinese arrive undetected on the Northern Territory's Coburg
Peninsula.

* February 15, 1999 - Five Afghans, three Algerians, one Iraqi and one Pakistani land on
Ashmore Reef, north of Darwin.

* February 21 1999 - 32 Turks arrive on Ashmore Reef, while a further nine Iraqis and four
Algerians land on Christams Island.

* March 11 - 57 Chinese land near Gove, in the Northern Territory.

* March 12 - 26 Chinese land at Holloways Beach near Cairns. They are detected by the local
newsagent when one asks to make a phone call.

* April 10 - 60 Chinese land at Scotts Head on the northern NSW coast.

* April 12 - HMAS Wollongong intercepts a wooden boat carrying 10 illegal immigrants off
the WA coast.

* May 7 - 53 people from the Middle East are found stranded on Ashmore Reef.

* May 17 - Customs and the Navy intercept a ship carrying 69 Chinese illegal immigrants off
Wollongong.

* May 20 - A vessel carrying 20 illegal immigrants from the Middle East and three crew
arrives at Christmas Island.

* May 20 - Seven people from the Indian sub-continent and two crew are intercepted at
Ashmore Reef.

* May 23 - An undercover Australian official smashes a people-smuggling racket which would
have brought 2,000 Somalis to Australia.

* May 27 - At least 79 immigrants land at the mouth of the Doughboy River in northern
Queensland after being tracked by Customs.

* June 4 - 112 people from China and Taiwan are detained in Broken Bay, north of Sydney.

* June 12 - 76 people from Turkey, Afghanistan and Iraq land on Ashmore Reef.

* June 24 - Immigration Minister Philip Ruddock announces Australia has headed off a plan
to bring 100 illegal immigrants into Australia by air from Indonesia.

* June 27 - Prime Minister John Howard announces $124 million four-year plan to boost
coastal surveillance, including two additional aircraft and extended flight coverage.

* June 29 - 53 illegal immigrants from the Middle East detected on Ashmore Reef by
Coastwatch.

* July 2 - Heggen and Coastal Surveillance Taskforce reports released.

* July 12 - 16 Afghans arrive on Ashmore Reef.

* July 21 - Seven people arrive on Ashmore Reef from the Middle East.

* July 28 - 14 Turks arrive on Ashmore Reef.

* July 31 - 44 people from the Middle East and Sri Lanka land on Ashmore Reef.

AAP rft/wjf

KEYWORD: BOAT CHRONOLOGY

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