Northern NSW Operation Nets 20
Media Release - DPS 68/2002
The Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs (DIMIA) said today that 16 unlawful non-citizens had been detained following a compliance operation in the New England and North Coast areas of NSW between 2 and 6 September 2002.
Staff from DIMIA located 12 men and eight women including 10 people from the People's Republic of China (PRC), two each from Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia, one each from the UK and India who were in Australia unlawfully, and a further two from PRC who were in breach of their visa conditions.
The group were found at restaurants, a brothel and residences in Tamworth, Armidale, Tenterfield, Coffs Harbour and Port Macquarie.
Of the group, two from Thailand have already departed Australia, while 14 have been transferred to the Villawood Immigration Detention Centre in Sydney, where they will remain in detention, while arrangements are made for their departure from Australia, as required by law.
The remaining four are making arrangements to depart the country.
DIMIA officers make regular visits to workplaces in many parts of Australia, such as restaurants, farms, shops, offices, factories and brothels, in an effort to detect and locate people who are in the country illegally or who are working illegally.
DIMIA may also issue warning notices to employers or labour suppliers who are found to have employed illegal workers.
In the 2001-02 financial year the Department located 17,307 overstayers and people breaching visa conditions. This includes people lawfully in Australia who were found working in breach of their visa conditions as well as people who were unlawfully in the country.
11 September 2002
Media inquiries: Public Affairs (02) 6264 2244