We told you a week ago that changes in Australian asylum policy (toward more leniency) are encouraging Afghan and Iraqi asylum seekers (probably others from the Middle East as well) to risk dangerous waters around Australia in an attempt to reach Australia by boat. A controversy is now swirling around the most recent incursion which resulted in the explosion of one such trafficking vessel and the subsequent death of three and possibly more Afghan aliens.
From the Australian today:
A NAVY officer has described the “horrific” scene where at least three people died after an explosion threw 47 suspected asylum seekers and two crew into northern Australian waters.
Lieutenant Commander Barry Learoyd said all 49 people aboard the asylum seekers’ boat had been thrown into the ocean.
“The scenes were pretty horrific,” he said.
[….]
The asylum seekers identified themselves as being from Afghanistan.