Anthony Albanese’s Australian Border Force support over boats

The Prime Minister has expressed support for the Australian Border Force after further evidence emerged of the agency transporting fishing boats which are soon expected to be handed over to people smugglers intercepted at sea.

An investigation by The West Australian earlier this year uncovered details of the secret program, which involves asylum seekers on unseaworthy vessels being transferred to safer crayfishing boats before being turned back.

This week Nine News broadcast drone vision of the ABF’s 110m Ocean Shield vessel carrying four cray boats as it sailed out of Broome on Wednesday, having left Kwinana on October 29.

Appearing on the ABC, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was asked about the latest reports on the secret people smuggling scheme but would only say he backs the work of the ABF to keep borders secure.

“What I can explain very clearly is that the Australian Border Force keep our borders secure. They undertake a range of activities which have done that, that have ensured that people who are unauthorised arrivals aren’t able to stay in Australia.”

“I support the Australian Border Force undertaking what actions they believe are necessary to secure our borders. And the Opposition, I thought, supported that. We will continue to be consistent about that,” he added, without giving any further details.

In September, The West Australian revealed how the ABF was secretly buying crayfishing boats in Geraldton and giving them to people smugglers intercepted off the North West coast.

The investigation detailed how asylum seekers aboard unseaworthy vessels were transferred to the safer cray boats before being turned back to Indonesia.

At the time a cray fishing industry insider, who wished to remain anonymous, said he was aware the ABF had requested 10 boats from one broker, of which at least three had come from the Geraldton.

The mid-ocean handover is designed to limit the chance of would-be refugees drowning on the return journey, given the boats they are on are often dangerously overloaded and rickety.

Earlier this month The West revealed that border patrols across Australia’s northern reaches increased over the past year but had not returned to the levels seen under the Coalition government.

During a visit to Perth in September, Opposition Leader Sussan Ley slammed the surge in smuggling ventures heading for West Australian shores as unacceptable and said Labor had to get “border control under control.”