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On August 26, 2001, a 20 metre wooden fishing boat with 460 mainly Afghan asylum seekers became stranded about 75 nautical miles north of Christmas Island. The MS Tampa responded to the distress call, and rescued the asylum seekers. The ship was due to travel on to Singapore, and originally the captain (Arne Rinnan) planned to take the asylum seekers to Indonesia. However, when several of the asylum seekers told the captain they would jump overboard unless they were taken to Australia, the captain set sail for Christmas Island instead. |
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On August 26, 2001, a 20 metre wooden fishing boat with 460 mainly Afghan asylum seekers became stranded about 75 nautical miles north of Christmas Island. The MS Tampa responded to the distress call, and rescued the asylum seekers. (Another account is that the distress call was picked up by the Australian search and rescue authorities, which then ordered the Tampa to perform the rescue). The ship was due to travel on to Singapore, and originally the captain (Arne Rinnan) planned to take the asylum seekers to Indonesia. However, when several of the asylum seekers told the captain they would jump overboard unless they were taken to Australia, the captain set sail for Christmas Island instead. |
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Captain Rinnan pleaded for permission for the ship to dock at Christmas Island. He reported that several of the asylum seekers were unconscious, and others were suffering from dysentry, claims which were later disproved. In fact, the refugees were in relatively good health. The Captain said that the ship could not sail to Indonesia, because it was unseaworthy -- the ship was not designed for 438 people, only its 27 crew; and there were no lifeboats or other safety equipment available for the asylum seekers in the case of an emergency. He was also concerned that if the ship did try to sail to Indonesia the asylum seekers could try jumping overboard or rioting and harm the crew. |
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Captain Rinnan pleaded for permission for the ship to dock at Christmas Island. He reported that several of the asylum seekers were unconscious, and others were suffering from dysentry, claims which were later disputed. According to later Australian government claims, the refugees were in relatively good health. However a few were quite ill by the time they arrived in New Zealand, so this matter is probably still unclear. The Captain said that the ship could not sail to Indonesia, because it was unseaworthy -- the ship was not designed for 438 people, only its 27 crew; and there were no lifeboats or other safety equipment available for the asylum seekers in the case of an emergency. He was also concerned that if the ship did try to sail to Indonesia the asylum seekers could try jumping overboard or rioting and harm the crew. |
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On August 29 Captain Rinnan, having lost patience with the Australian authorities, and increasingly concerned about the money his company was losing, declared a state of emergency and proceeded to illegally enter Australian territorial waters, against Australian government orders not to. |
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On August 29 Captain Rinnan, having lost patience with the Australian authorities, and increasingly concerned for the safety of the asylum seekers and the ships' crew, declared a state of emergency and proceeded to enter Australian territorial waters, against Australian government orders not to. The Australian government claimed this was illegal, but under normal law of the sea, and Australian law at the time, it probably wasn't unless it can be established that he was falsely claiming an emergency. As of October 2001, this has not been established. |
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The Australian government then responded by dispatching Australian troops to board the ship and prevent it from approaching any further to Christmas Island. The Australian government was seeking to stop any of the asylum seekers from applying for asylum, which they could legally do as soon as they stepped foot on Australian territory. The soldiers boarded the ship and Captain Rinnan then anchored it approximately four nautical miles off Christmas Island. Shortly afterwards the Prime Minister of Australia, John Howard, reported the boarding of the ship to the Australian Parliament. |
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The Australian government then responded by dispatching Australian troops (35 SAS commandos) to board the ship and prevent it from approaching any further to Christmas Island. The Australian government was seeking to stop any of the asylum seekers from applying for asylum, which they could legally do as soon as they stepped foot on Australian territory. The soldiers boarded the ship and Captain Rinnan then anchored it approximately four nautical miles off Christmas Island. Shortly afterwards the Prime Minister of Australia, John Howard, reported the boarding of the ship to the Australian Parliament. |
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The immigrants from the Tampa were loaded onto an Australian Navy vessel, and transported to the small island country of Nauru, where they will be processed. When they arrived on Nauru, many of the refugees refused to leave the boat, unhappy that, whilst they have found a refuge, it is not in Australia. Many of the immigrants are thought to have spent thousands of dollars to be able to come to Australia. |
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The immigrants from the Tampa were loaded onto an Australian Navy vessel. Most were transported to the small island country of Nauru and the rest to New Zealand, where they will be processed. When they arrived on Nauru, many of the refugees refused to leave the boat, unhappy that, whilst they have found a refuge, it is not in Australia. Many of the immigrants are thought to have spent thousands of dollars to be able to come to Australia. |
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