Almost all New-wave Boatpeople Genuine

Almost all new-wave boatpeople genuine

Paul Maley | May 21, 2009
Article from: The Australian

AN Australian man accused of masterminding a major people-smuggling racket from his home in Shepparton brought his entire family out by boat from Afghanistan in 1999.

The extraordinary story of the boatperson turned alleged people-smuggler came as new figures from the Immigration Department showed the vast majority of recent, unauthorised boat arrivals processed so far had been classed as genuine refugees.

On Tuesday, the Australian Federal Police arrested 64-year-old Qambali Bostan and his son, 22-year-old Rahmutullah Bostan, at their home in Shepparton, Victoria.

They appeared in Shepparton Magistrates Court yesterday, each charged with two counts of people-smuggling and two counts of money laundering in relation to 68 Afghan asylum seekers detained in Indonesia in April. The son also faces one charge of drug possession.

AFP agent Josh Born told the court the older man had travelled to Indonesia to co-ordinate the movements of illegal immigrants while his son remained in Australia to collect payments from their families,

"Rahmutullah was in charge of the financial side and his father the actual movement of people," Mr Born alleged, citing evidence from phone intercepts.

"Rahmutullah has been in contact with numerous overseas persons in relation to obtaining funds we suspect to be for people-smuggling. He has been in contact with people detained in Indonesia and people in Australia who have paid for their relatives to come here illegally."

Mr Born said more than $40,000 was transferred into Rahmutullah Bostan's bank account in a three-day period in March, after a previous deposit of $75,000.

He was granted bail, but his father was remanded in custody after failing to raise a $20,000 surety to secure his release.

Yesterday, The Australian reported that Mr Bostan had arrived in Australia by boat in 1999.

Sources have told The Australian that since then, Mr Bostan brought his entire family out by boat. Mr Bostan's son, and co-accused, is understood to have accompanied his father in 1999.

It is understood the Immigration Department granted protection in 2001 to some or all of the family, and gave them citizenship in 2002.

The arrest of the Bostans comes as Australian authorities grapple with a surge in unrelated, unauthorised boat arrivals. Since September, 19 boats have been detected by authorities.

All told, authorities have ferried 711 people to Australia, a huge increase on the 148 people who arrived in 2007.

The Opposition claims the influx is because of softer immigration and border protection policies. The Government denies this, saying instability in Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and the Middle East is driving the surge in arrivals.

But figures from the Immigration Department suggest the overwhelming number of boat arrivals are genuine refugees.

Earlier this week, the Immigration Department had finalised a total of 169 cases.

Of those, 150 had been resettled in Australia after they were found to be owed protection, while 14 were refused and five were sent home.

A further 478 people were awaiting processing on Christmas Island.

The figures mean that almost 90 per cent of the boatpeople to be processed since September have been found to be genuine refugees.

Additional reporting: AAP