Australia paid human smugglers to return migrants: Reports

‘Australia has reportedly paid people smugglers to sail back a boat carrying asylum seekers to Indonesia.

According to reports on Friday, Australia border officials gave USD 30,000 to smugglers to return 65 refugees from Burma, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh to Indonesia, an act which is tantamount to human trafficking under international law.

“I saw the money, the $5,000 was in $100 banknotes,” said Hidaya, an Indonesian police chief, adding that an Australian delivered the sum in black plastic bags to each of the six smugglers.

Nazmul Hassan, a Bangladeshi asylum seeker, who was on board the vessel, also confirmed the incident.’

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