The boats are BACK: At least eight Chinese asylum seekers are ‘dropped off by Indonesian fishing boat’ in remote part of Australia

By MAX AITCHISON, POLITICAL REPORTER FOR DAILY MAIL AUSTRALIA

Published: 02:49 BST, 30 May 2025 | Updated: 03:21 BST, 30 May 2025

Eight suspected asylum seekers have reportedly been detained by authorities in a remote part of Australia after arriving by boat. 

Six of the arrivals, who are believed to be from China, were discovered by local workers on Tuesday near the remote Indigenous township of Maningrida, around 500km east of Darwin in Arnhem Land, reported the ABC. 

A further two men were reportedly found the following day by Indigenous rangers and are now in Australian Border Force (ABF) custody.

The ABC reports that authorities are yet to discover a boat, raising the possibility the men were dropped off on the mainland by an Indonesian fishing vessel. 

Freshly-appointed Shadow Home Affairs Minster Andrew Hastie said that if the arrivals were confirmed then it was a sign of the Labor government’s ‘underinvestment in our border security and defence capabilities’.

‘We should have unblinking surveillance on our northern approaches, but instead we have illegal boats penetrating our borders and people making it ashore,’ he told this publication.

‘This signals weakness to the people smugglers that business is back on under Labor.’

An ABF spokesperson said: ‘The Australian Border Force does not comment on or confirm operational matters.’ 

Six of the arrivals, who are believed to be from China , were discovered by local workers on Tuesday near the remote Indigenous township of Maningrida, around 500km east of Darwin in Arnhem Land (pictured)

A further two men were reportedly found the following day by Indigenous rangers and are now in Australian Border Force (ABF) custody 

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The boats are BACK: At least eight Chinese asylum seekers are ‘dropped off by Indonesian fishing boat’ in remote part of Australia

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