Australian Maritime Safety Authority: Asylum Seekers

Indonesia Dept: The boat issued a distress call early Wednesday morning, and was believed to have up to 180 people on board, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority said. The Australian navy ship HMAS Wollongong found the boat south of Indonesia, but poor weather was preventing rescuers from boarding the vessel, the maritime authority said, according to Montreal Gazette. The debate over how to cope with the increasing flow of asylum seekers has intensified in Australia since two boats carrying Australia-bound migrants capsized in the last two weeks. More than 90 people are believed to have been killed when the boats sank in the Indian Ocean between Indonesia and the Australian territory of Christmas Island, where Australia runs an immigration detention centre and sYDNEY - Australian rescue crews were trying to help a boat in distress and crowded with asylum seekers off the coast of Indonesia on Wednesday, one day after the leaders of Australia and Indonesia agreed to strengthen maritime ties as part of a bid to combat people smuggling. "The boat has rung, said it's in distress, that it's taking on water," Home Affairs Minister Jason Clare told Australian Broadcasting Corp. Radio earlier Wednesday. "Whenever you have a call like that, you take it seriously." (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.