This statement provides an update on Operation Sovereign Borders (OSB) activities related to the on-water reception and processing of illegal maritime arrivals (IMAs).
The reporting period is from 1 September 2019 to 30 September 2019.
During this reporting period there were 16 IMAs transferred from Regional Processing Centres to Australian Immigration authorities.
No IMAs were transferred from Australia to a regional processing country.
6 IMA detainees, who arrived in Australia before 1 January 2014, were voluntarily removed from Australia. 1 IMA detainee was involuntarily removed from Australia to their country of origin, consistent with Australia’s obligations.
In September 2019, Sri Lankan authorities arrested 1 person in Sri Lanka for alleged facilitator involvement in people smuggling activity. This arrest related to a 2012 venture which left the Trincomalee area with 58 people on board.
No IMAs voluntarily returned to their country of origin from a regional processing country.
As at 30 September 2019, there were zero people in the Nauru Regional Processing Centre (RPC). The Manus RPC closed on 31 October 2017.
The processing of refugee claims are matters for the governments of PNG and Nauru.
