The first of the 433 mainly Afghan refugees rescued by the Norwegian freighter Tampa last month and refused entry to Australia finally reached dry land yesterday after three and a half weeks at sea.
The first of the group disembarked from the Australian navy vessel HMSA Manoora yesterday morning local time on the South Pacific nation of Nauru where they will stay while their asylum applications are processed by the UN. Around 150 of the group will be sent to New Zealand.
The refugees spent a week moored off Australia's Christmas Island on board the Tampa when the Australian government refused them entry. They spent the last week and a half sailing from Christmas Island to Nauru on board the Manoora after Nauru and New Zealand agreed to take them.
As they came ashore some of the refugees held up a banner reading: "Thanks from honourable government of Nauru for giving protection and shelters for Afghan refugees." Nauru has been granted $20 million in aid in return for taking most of the group and has agreed to take more of Australia's unwanted boatpeople in the future.
The Australian government is facing a second legal challenge to its decision to refuse the group entry. Human rights lawyers campaigning to let the refugees land in Australia won an appeal against the government's handling of the crisis but that was overturned on appeal. Now they are to take their case to the full bench of Australia's High Court.
AFP reports from Athens: Illegal immigrants rescued by Greek ships from a stranded fishing boat in the Ionian sea have landed at the north-eastern port of Igoumenitsa, the Greek Merchant Marine Ministry said yesterday.
A total of 291 asylum seekers, among them 48 women and 64 children, were rescued after the Turkish fishing boat transporting them issued a distress call.
