Sri Lankans transferred to Nauru

The Australian High Commission in Colombo said that a group of Sri Lankans have been transferred to the Nauru Regional Processing Centre.
The group of single adult males departed Christmas Islands ?on a charter aircraft, escorted by the Australian Federal Police (AFP), DIAC staff, interpreters and medical staff.
On arrival in Nauru, the group of Vietnamese, Sri Lankan and Lebanese nationals ? the 20th transfer to Nauru ? were subject to relevant immigration, customs and quarantine clearance processes.
They will now be settled into their accommodation at the regional processing centre and go through induction processes.
The completion of this transfer reaffirms the strong message of deterrence for anyone considering risking their lives on dangerous people smuggling boats.
?The Australian Government is committed to deterring people from taking dangerous journeys by boat and stopping those people smugglers who profit from this trade,? a Department of Immigration and Citizenship spokesman said.
?There will be no advantage for boat arrivals.?
Selection of this group was based on operational considerations and an assessment of their particular circumstances to confirm transfer was appropriate.
Transfers will continue to occur both to Manus Island in Papua New Guinea and Nauru as part of the policy of regional processing of irregular maritime arrivals.
The spokesman said the Australian Government continued to implement the recommendations of the report of the Expert Panel on Asylum Seekers, whose central principle provides that people choosing to travel to Australia by boat should receive no advantage.
?The Australian Government is committed to deterring people from taking dangerous journeys by boat and stopping those people smugglers who profit from this despicable trade,? the spokesman said. (Colombo Gazette)