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Australia intercepts fourth boat in a week carrying asylum seekers

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-09-17 11:06

CANBERRA: A boat carrying 48 suspected asylum seekers near Darwin was intercepted late Wednesday night, Australian Associated Press reported Thursday.

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This is the fourth boat intercepted by Australian navy patrol vessel in a week.

Navy personnel from HMAS Maitland boarded the boat, 78 nautical miles west of Darwin, and found 48 passengers and four crew aboard.

Australian Home Affairs Minister Brendan O'Connor said those people were safe and indicated they wished to come to Australia.

The opposition attributes the recent spate of boat arrivals to the result of a softening in Australia's immigration and border protection policies by the Labor government.

Opposition foreign affairs spokeswoman Julie Bishop told ABC Television on Thursday, "The Rudd government must make it clear that we have border protection laws in place and that we have a strong immigration system."

But O'Connor says "situations around the world mean that large numbers of displaced persons are looking for settlement in wealthy, developed nations like Australia."