Australian Border Force (ABF) officers refused 11 Malaysian nationals entry to Australia at Gold Coast airport after it was assessed that they were attempting to enter the country to work illegally.
The group arrived on a flight from Kuala Lumpur on Saturday (20 August) and all 11 individuals were returned to Kuala Lumpur within 24 hours of their arrival.
On arrival the individuals were interviewed by ABF officers and during these interviews the officers ascertained that they intended to work illegally while in Australia. The individuals were detained and returned to Malaysia later that night.
These returns are in addition to the 44 illegal workers refused entry to Australia at Gold Coast and Perth Airports on 30 July for the same reason.
Assistant Commissioner Strategic Border Command, Clive Murray, said these successful removals further demonstrate that the ABF is alert to those who try to enter Australia to work illegally.
“This is a significant issue and ABF officers have the expertise and access to intelligence to ensure that illegal workers are stopped before they enter the country,” Assistant Commissioner Murray said.
“There are avenues for people who wish to come to our country to work legally, however, if you are caught trying to do so illegally you will be returned to your country of origin.
“The Australian Border Force remains committed to uncovering and returning those people who seek to blatantly flout our visa laws.
“This extends to those organisations or individuals who might look to facilitate the entry of illegal workers to Australia and we dedicate significant resources to investigating these incidents and ensuring those responsible are prosecuted.”
The maximum penalty for people found to be facilitating the illegal movement of people into Australia is up to ten years jail.