The Hon Philip Ruddock MP Australian Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs AUSTRALIA RETURNS 22 UNAUTHORISED ARRIVALS TO CHINA CANBERRA, Australia, August 9/MediaNet International-AsiaNet/-- Australia has returned 22 people to China less than one month after they landed illegally in Cairns in Australia's north, the Australian Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs, Philip Ruddock, said today. The 22 male Chinese nationals were flown from Port Hedland in Western Australia where they had been held in detention since 15 July. Mr Ruddock said the removal of the illegal arrivals showed the value of cooperation between countries that are determined to end people smuggling rackets and the futility of trying to enter Australia illegally. "The return of the 22 illegals is a further example of the ongoing co-operation that exists between the Australian and Chinese governments," Mr Ruddock said. "It also demonstrates people who have no claim to remain in Australia will be removed as soon as practicable." The Minister explained that a foreign-registered fishing vessel, "Wingsang 108", docked at Cairns on 11 July and offloaded the Chinese nationals. Two days later police at Cairns detained three of the people and on July 14, a further 19 were detained. On the day police first detained three of the arrivals, 13 July, the fishing vessel that brought them slipped out of Cairns bound for Hong Kong. Elaborating on the swift response to the incident and inter-agency co-operation in dealing with it, Mr Ruddock said that two days later Australian Customs officers and Australian Federal Police agents boarded the vessel at sea, turned it around and ordered it back to Cairns. "On 18 July, an order was issued to seize the vessel," the Minister said. "After investigations by the joint Immigration/Federal Police people smuggling team, three members of the 11-man crew are facing charges relating to people smuggling, which carry fines of up to $210,000 or 20 years imprisonment. "The three have been remanded in custody and will appear for a committal hearing on 13 September. The other eight crew have since been removed from Australia." "The swift response is a tribute to the effectiveness of intelligence sharing and inter-agency co-operation in combating the trafficking of people." Media enquiries: STEVE INGRAM +61 419 278 715 -END-