Four men, who were discovered by Aboriginals on the remote Croker Island off the north coast of Australia, said they’d paid to be dropped there.
The Northern Land Council (NLC)—which represents the interests of Aboriginal people in the Top End of Australia’s Northern Territory (NT)—has confirmed the discovery of four men, believed to be foreign nationals.
The men were located on the remote Croker Island, around 250 kilometres northeast of Darwin.
The men said they had paid someone to be taken to Australia.
They suffered exhaustion and from the heat wave in the region. The Bureau of Meteorology reports temperatures on the Island had been above 35 degrees Celsius for the preceding five days.
The NLC said the men had been assisted by Aboriginal rangers and the NT Police. It is believed they are no longer on Australian soil.
Rangers had reported seeing a vessel on Croker Island’s north-western side on Nov. 10 morning and the remains of two sharks with fins and tails removed on a beach on the east coast of Cape Croker.
The NLC have recently reported a sharp increase in the number of foreign boats “breaching Aboriginal land and waters along the West Arnhem Land coastline,” which they say pose a threat to indigenous fauna.
The discovery of men alarmed the Territory’s MP for Arafura, Manuel Brown, whose electorate covers Croker Island.
“The discovery of asylum seekers on the West Arnhem coast is a real concern,” he told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
“A big thank you is in order to the locals, traditional owners and rangers who found these people and took care of them while waiting for police.”
A spokesperson for the Minister of Home Affairs and Immigration Tony Burke said the government was determined to take a hard line against people smugglers via Operation Sovereign Borders.
“No people smuggling ventures have been successful under our government,” he said.
“People who come to Australia by boat have zero chance of success.”
Federal Indigenous Minister Malarndirri McCarthy said the incident showed the value of Indigenous rangers, who were the government’s “eye and ears.”
“Our rangers across the coastlines don’t have the legal capability to be involved with any illegal activity that may be occurring on the waters, but it is important they have a line of communication to the local police … or the Australian Federal Police or Border Force,” she said.
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton told Sky News the arrivals showed “people smugglers believe they’re back in business.
“How can a boat make it to the mainland without any detection whatsoever?” he asked.
Australian Border Force (ABF) said it wouldn’t comment on “operational matters” and the Northern Territory Police referred questions back to the ABF.
Croker Island, which consists of beaches, wetlands and swamps, has a population of about 265 people.