http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/nation/refugees-pay-40000-to-come-by-plane/story-e6frg6nf-1225802705191
Refugees pay $40,000 to come by plane a.. Sally Neighbour b.. From: The Australian c.. November 24, 2009 12:00AM ASYLUM-seekers are arriving in Australia by air in numbers that dwarf boat arrivals, after paying people-smugglers up to $US40,000, for a package that includes airfares, false passports and forged Australian visas. The racket has been revealed by a Sri Lankan refugee who was granted a protection visa after arriving in Australia in April on false travel documents supplied by a professional people-smuggler in Malaysia. Figures from the Department of Immigration and Citizenship show the number of asylum-seekers who arrive by plane dwarfs the numbers who arrive by boat. A DIAC spokesman said that, in 2008-09, 206 people were granted protection visas after arriving in Australia by boat, while 2172 received protection after arriving by plane. The total number of plane arrivals who applied for refugee status in that period was 5076. A far smaller proportion of those who arrive by air are ultimately found to be genuine refugees. The Refugee Council of Australia says typically 45 per cent of applicants who come by plane end up being granted protection, compared with 90 to 95 per cent of those who come by boat. The 23-year-old Tamil man, who revealed the racket, asked to be identified only as "Sanjay". He fled his home on Sri Lanka's Jaffna Peninsula in 2007 at the height of the conflict between the Sri Lankan armed forces and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. Sanjay, who claims to have no LTTE connections, told The Australian he was detained in 2007 for 20 days, during which time he was kept blindfolded and handcuffed to a pillar, beaten with rifle butts and batons and burned with cigarettes. He fled Sri Lanka in mid-2007 for Malaysia. Early this year, he says, he was introduced to a Malaysian Tamil people-smuggler. Sanjay was told the fee to travel by boat was $US15,000, while the cost to travel by air was more than double that. Afraid to send their only son on the perilous sea voyage, Sanjay's family, who owned a transport business in Jaffna, sold their fleet of vehicles to raise the money for his escape to Australia. The $US35,000 ($38,000) was paid directly to the agent. Sanjay was handed a one-way airline ticket to Australia and a false Canadian passport containing a forged Australian visa. He flew to Australia on April 12. Having been told by the people-smuggler that he would be immediately deported if caught with false documents, he tore up his passport on the plane and flushed it down the lavatory. Sanjay presented himself at the immigration desk at Perth airport and announced, "I am a Sri Lankan refugee". He spent six months in Villawood detention centre before being released with permanent residency a few weeks ago. Related Coverage a.. Detainees' plea: what about us? The Australian, 5 days ago b.. Test of stamina The Australian, 8 days ago c.. Tamils economic refugees: Sri Lanka The Australian, 11 Nov 2009 d.. Smith heads to Sri Lanka for urgent talks The Australian, 8 Nov 2009 e.. Sri Lankans using war as excuse - envoy Adelaide Now, 8 Nov 2009
