People smugglers ‘paid to turn back their boats’

CANBERRA – Australia Prime Minister Tony Abbott has repeatedly dodged new questions about whether Australian officials paid people smugglers thousands of dollars to return 65 asylum seekers to Indonesia, only saying that his government is “prepared to do what is necessary to keep the boats stopped”.

Abbott’s comments on Sunday marked a significant change in language used about the allegations since he fronted media on Friday refusing to confirm or deny whether the payments had happened.

Earlier it was revealed that the United Nations had interviewed asylum seekers in Indonesia who repeated allegations that Australian officials paid people smugglers thousands of dollars to return to Indonesia.

James Lynch, the regional director of the UNHCR said that the asylum seekers also claimed they were held on a customs vessel for four days before being returned on two boats heading back to Indonesia.

“What we were told by the 65 passengers is that they were intercepted by a naval vessel from Australia. And then they were transferred to a customs boat where they spent four days. And then they were put on two blue boats and then sent back to Indonesia,” he said.

The head of UNHCR, Antonio Guterres has strongly criticised Australia saying the country should not be paying off criminal gangs.

“We need to crack down on trafficking – not pay to them,” he said.