Compliance Operations Net 15 Illegals
Media Release - DPS 73/2002
The Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs (DIMIA) said today that 14 unlawful non-citizens, and one individual breaching visa conditions had been detained, following three separate compliance operations, at construction work sites in and around Sydney.
Officers from DIMIA identified three Chinese men who were in the country unlawfully and one Filipino man, who was working illegally in the building industry, at a construction site in Waterloo.
A further six men (one Ukrainian, three Chinese, one Indonesian and one Pakistani) and one South Korean woman were located working at another construction site in Homebush. All were in the country unlawfully.
At a construction site at Lisarow on the Central Coast officers located another three South Korean men and one Chinese man - all were in the country unlawfully.
Officers from the News South Wales Police assisted in some of the operations.
All those detained have been transferred to the Villawood Immigration Detention Centre in Sydney.
The group will remain in detention, while arrangements are made for their departure from Australia, as required by law.
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.
19 September 2002
Media inquiries: Public Affairs (02) 6264 2244