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The Foreign Ministry on Monday threatened to deport hundreds of Sri Lankan asylum seekers who have been refusing to leave a boat docked at a Banten port until they are granted refugee status.

Some 247 ethnic Tamil migrants, led by an alleged people smuggler called Kulaendrarajah Sanjeev, have been engaged in the stand-off since they were intercepted on their way to Australia on Oct. 11.

“If Australia doesn’t want to accept them and they don’t want to come off the boat, we will ask the [International Organization for Migration] to return them to their country,” senior ministry official Sujatmiko said.

“For sure, they’ll oppose that because they’re scared of returning to their country. But Indonesia has no choice as we’re not their destination country,” he said.

Seven migrants, who left the boat earlier and are currently being held by immigration, will be deported if their asylum applications with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees are rejected, he added.

Only one has already been returned home, Sujatmiko said.

The crowded wooden cargo vessel has been moored at Merak port on the western end of Java island since it was stopped at sea by authorities en route to Australia.

The group’s “spokesman,” Sanjeev, who calls himself Alex, says the migrants are fleeing persecution in Sri Lanka following the end of a bitter civil war pitting ethnic Tamils against the majority Sinhalese.

Sri Lanka accuses the 28-year-old, who earlier threatened to blow the boat up and announced a hunger strike that was called off after two days, of being a well-known people smuggler.

He denies the allegation but admits he was deported from Canada for criminal offences.

The stand-off has fuelled an intense political debate in Australia over refugee policy.



Agence France-Presse