Refugees transferred to Australian troop ship
The Australian army today began ferrying more than 430 refugees from a container ship to a troop ship, the first stage in a journey that will see them taken to Nauru and New Zealand via Papua New Guinea.
Two barges, each big enough to carry at least 30 people, were being used to ferry the refugees between the two ships anchored off Christmas Island in the Indian Ocean.
The process of moving all of them was expected to take up to six hours.
The transfer and departure were given the go-ahead after a Melbourne court lifted an injunction which had been barring the transfer of the boat people and their removal from Australian waters.
The Norwegian ship the Tampa moved close to the troop carrier Manoora about 1.5 nautical miles offshore before the barges began ferrying the asylum seekers.
Australia refused to accept the refugees after they were rescued by the Tampa from a sinking Indonesian ferry a week ago.
The crisis has damaged Australia’s standing worldwide, prompting unprecedented international criticism, including from the chief of the United Nations.
The Manoora was expected to leave tonight for the week long voyage to Port Moresby, the capital of Papua New Guinea.
From there, some refugees will be flown to New Zealand and some to the Pacific island nation of Nauru, where their applications for asylum will be reviewed.
At least 430 mostly Afghan refugees, including several pregnant women, have been camped out for a week on the Tampa’s deck, seeking shelter from the harsh tropical sun under tarpaulins and in empty cargo containers.
They were rescued near Australia’s remote Christmas Island, but Australia refused to accept them.
Civil rights lawyers challenged the decision and obtained the injunction blocking their removal from Australian waters that was lifted earlier today.
