Case Law Database

Smuggling of migrants

Offences

• Enabling illegal entry
• Financial or other material benefit (to smuggler)

Boat interception on 17 Nov 2014 at Yap, FSM

Fact Summary

This case involves the smuggling 35 Indian and Nepalese migrants who were smuggled by boat from Indonesia. They left Indonesia, together with two Indonesian crew, on 10 November 2014 and were apprehended near the island of Yap in Micronesia one week later on 17 November 2014. Some of the migrants believed they would be taken to Australia, while others believed that New Zealand or the United States were the intended destination of this venture.

The captain of the vessels reportedly had been paid the equivalent of AUD 1,500 to transport the smuggled migrants from Indonesia to Yap.

Cross-Cutting Issues

Offending

Details

• occurred across one (or more) international borders (transnationally)

Involved Countries

Indonesia

Micronesia (Federated States of)

Migrants

Migrant:
35 persons

Defendants / Respondents in the first instance

Number of other accused:
2
Defendant:

Two Indonesian crew were on board the vessel when it was intercepted on 17 November 2014.

Sources / Citations

AAP, 'Asylum seeker boat lands on tiny Micronesian island of Yap', The Guardian (online), 21 November 2014, <http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/nov/21/asylum-seeker-boat-lands-on-tiny-micronesian-island-of-yap>

Roberts, George & Mandie Sami, 'Asylum seeker boat lands on small Micronesian island of Yap; passengers told by people smugglers they would be transported to Australia', ABC News (online), 21 November 2014, <http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-11-21/asylum-seeker-boat-lands-on-small-micronesian-island-tyring-to-/5908060>

This entry was copied from The Migrant Smuggling Case Database, launched by the University of Queensland Migrant Smuggling Working Group in August 2013.

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