Paige Taylor | October 30, 2009
Article from: The Australian
OFFICIALS from the Indonesian National Police and Indonesian Immigration spent more than four hours inside Christmas Island's immigration detention centre yesterday as ASIO, Customs and the Rudd government's new immigration advisory group met on the island for talks.
The visit, the first by an Indonesian delegation since the Rudd government began detaining people at the $400 million centre last December, is part of a push by Australian Federal Police for enhanced regional co-operation on the issues of asylum-seekers and people-smuggling.
They were also taken aboard the HMAS Larrakia in Flying Fish Cove and will continue their tour today amid the standoff between 78 asylum-seekers aboard the Australian Customs vessel Oceanic Viking, moored off the Indonesian coast, and local authorities.
The Department of Immigration and Citizenship described the visit as one of several to Christmas Island by a range of government and community stakeholders.
People-smuggling was an important regional issue and any sound and lasting solutions probably would come through enhanced regional co-operation, a departmental spokesman said.
"The government will continue to work closely and co-operatively with our regional partners in the fight against people-smuggling."
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