Twenty-Six Illegals Located in Suburban Sydney
Media Release - DPS 46/2003
Twenty-six people are in immigration detention following a series of compliance operations in suburban Sydney yesterday, the Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs (DIMIA) confirmed tonight.
With assistance from NSW police, immigration officers visited a number of restaurants and private residences in western Sydney, Campsie and Caringbah resulting in the location of 21 unlawful non-citizens and five working in breach of visa conditions. All five subsequently had their visas cancelled.
The 26 comprised seven males from the People's Republic of China, four Malaysians (three males, one female), three Korean nationals (two females and one male), two male Indian nationals, two males from the Philippines, one man and one woman from Vietnam, one male Samoan, one male Turkish national, one Lebanese female, one Syrian male, one man from Peru, and one female Yugoslav national.
All those located were transferred to the Villawood Immigration Detention Centre where they will remain until their departure from Australia as required by law.
Illegal worker warning notices will be issued to the employers found to have engaged illegal workers.
DIMIA officers, often with assistance from state police, make regular visits to workplaces in many parts of Australia, including 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 around Australia. This figure
is expected to increase as in the 2002-03 financial year to 31 May
the Department located 19,070 people who had either overstayed or
breached their visa conditions. In the same period, 12,659 people
were removed.
11 July 2003
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