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April 9th, 2013 
The New Zealand flag flies from the boat carrying Sri Lankan asylum seekers. Picture: Graeme Gibbons
Source: News Limited
A GROUP of 66 people on board a boat that sailed into Geraldton, 400 kilometres north of Perth, today are now destined for Christmas Island, according to statement from the immigration department.
It is believed to be the first boat to reach the mainland so close to Perth.
Barely 430km north of Perth, the coastal centre is more than 2000km south of Christmas Island where asylum seekers coming to Australia are usually intercepted.
The Sri Lankan passengers pulled into the harbour on their overcrowded vessel around midday (WST), stunning witnesses.
Authorities are unsure how the vessel reached so far south and believe the crew may have set the wrong course.
The boat-load of Sri Lankan asylum seekers arrived in Geraldton around midday. Picture: Graeme Gibbons
Immigration officials will make arrangements ”as soon as possible” for their transfer to the island’s detention facilities.
Under existing legislation, asylum seekers who reach the mainland will avoid being sent to processing centres on Nauru or Manus Island in Papua New Guinea.
Federal Labor is seeking to change this, with legislation currently before the Senate.
Asylum seekers on the vessel have held up a sign saying, “We want to go to New Zealand. Please help us.”
The boat carrying Sri Lankan asylum seekers pulled into Geraldton harbour this afternoon. Picture: Twitter
The boat is believed to have been at sea for 44 days.
It is believed the Sri Lankans want to be sent to New Zealand because the government has voluntarily and involuntarily returned about 1000 Sri Lankans since August last year.
The vessel was met by a pilot boat in Geraldton harbour with WA Police now on the scene.
“Customs and Border Protection have advised a suspected irregular entry vessel arrived within the harbour limits of Geraldton this afternoon,” a spokesman for Home Affairs Minister Jason Clare said.
“Initial indications suggest there are 66 people on board.
“Customs and Border Protection officers and Western Australian Police are responding to the arrival.”
Geraldton Port Authority chief executive officer Peter Klein said a response team had set up a processing post for the asylum seekers.
“Police and Customs have been notified and are on the scene,” he said.
WA Police Inspector Dominic Wood said the boat had arrived in Geraldton under its own steam.
Inspector Wood said a Customs vessel had towed the boat into harbour where it is now moored.
“We are trying to determine where the refugees are from,” he said.
“At this time the asylum seekers are still on their vessel and are complying with police and Customs.”
WA Premier Colin Barnett said he was “alarmed” that a boat carrying asylum seekers could sail undetected into Geraldton.
“This is a serious, unprecedented and unacceptable breach of Australia’s border security,” Mr Barnett said.
“That a boat, laden with people, can sail into a busy regional port in broad daylight is shocking.
“Geraldton Port is one of Australia’s busiest regional ports and Australia’s second-largest for grain export.
“The State Government is working co-operatively with the Commonwealth on this issue and will ensure people’s welfare is being looked after.”
Geraldton’s waterfront Dome Cafe manager Steve Branch said customers at the cafe were shocked when the boat sailed in and “dropped anchor” about 100 metres off-shore.
“At first I don’t think people knew what it was. There were a few people that thought it might have been a protest group,” Mr Branch said.
“But after it had been there for half an hour, a customs boat went out to it and that’s when people realised ‘wow, that’s an asylum seeker boat’.”
Mr Branch said the vessel was “packed” with about 50 to 60 people on the deck.
“It was an old wooden fishing boat, the same as the asylum boats you see on TV. It basically just sailed in and dropped anchor about 100m off the beach.
“The reaction from most people was amazement – that they had made it this far south.
“There’s an awful lot of coastline between us and Broome. It’s certainly something we’ve never seen here before.”
– with Ashlee Mullany
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