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Australia to deport three youths from Rote island

Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara (ANTARA News) - The Australian government will send home three teenagers from Rote Ndao caught by the Australian navy in Australian waters while they were on a boat carrying illegal immigrants last April.

"According to plans, some Australian officials will escort the youths to their homes on Friday (July 15)," Rote Ndao district head Leonard Hanning said when asked about the issue here on Wednesday.

He said the Australian government officials would arrive in Kupang and from there they would go to Rote Island to hand over the youths themselves to their parents.

"The three are still underage so that they are not jailed. They only have to pass through a judicial process," Lens Hanning as he was popularly called said.

Lens Hanning welcomed the news and the good will of the Australian government.

"It means there are good relations between the governments of Australia and Indonesia especially the Rote District administration," he said.

He said he would give the three youths work after they arrived here. "We will help them work in seaweed business or become fishermen," he said.

The three youths are John Ndolu aged 17, Ose Lani 15 and Ako Lani 16 years old. They were caught in the Australian waters in April with a number of illegal immigrants. They have been accused of violating Article 233 C of the Immigration Act of 1958 carrying more than five passengers without documents.

Lens Hanning said the three from Daudolu village had allegedly been involved in human trafficking allured by the big pay they would get from it.

"They can get dozen million rupiahs for just carrying illegal immigrants to Australia once," he said.

Albert Lani, the father of Ose Lani admitted his child had gone to Australia carrying illegal immigrants.

"We have often received orders to carry illegal immigrants to Australia because of the good reward," he said.

Jublina Ndolu, the parent of John Ndolu said she was glad to hear her son would return home. "It has been a year I have never seen him. I am grateful my child could go home safely," she said.(*)

Editor: Heru

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