Six Chinese nationals have been detained in one of Western Australia’s most remote communities after apparently arriving by boat along the state’s rugged northern coastline.
As per ABC report, WA Police said an off-duty officer first located two of the men on Monday, about 12 kilometres north of Kalumburu. The pair reported they had reached Australia via an unknown vessel and were part of a larger group.
A further four men were found in the Kalumburu townsite on Tuesday, with locals noting their unusual attire for the humid weather and pointing out that all roads into the community are currently closed.
It is reported that the authorities believe the men walked from the coast towards the settlement.
All six were taken to the Kalumburu Multi-Functional Police Facility for medical assessment before being placed in the custody of the Australian Border Force (ABF). Although the ABF declined to comment on operational matters, the ABC confirmed the men had been detained by federal authorities. Three Border Force vessels were sent to investigate the surrounding coastline.
Residents reported increased police activity in recent days, though few had seen the men directly.
Acting Prime Minister Richard Marles said he had not yet been briefed but emphasised that standard procedures would apply.
“We will go through all of the processes which we always do in respect of any incident of this kind,” he said.
The Kalumburu incident is the latest in a series of unauthorised arrivals in WA’s north-west. In February last year, 39 men claiming to be from Pakistan and Bangladesh landed at Beagle Bay and were later transferred to offshore detention in Nauru. In April 2024, another group of Chinese nationals walked into the Truscott air base after arriving by boat, subsequently requesting asylum.
The latest discovery marks the second arrival of suspected Chinese asylum seekers in the region within two years, and comes amid ongoing scrutiny of the Albanese government’s border protection record.
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