This statement provides an update on Operation Sovereign Borders (OSB) activities related to the on-water reception and processing of illegal maritime arrivals (IMAs).
The reporting period is from 1 January 2019 to 31 January 2019. During this reporting period there were no IMAs transferred to Australian Immigration authorities. No IMAs were transferred to a regional processing country.
Three IMA detainees, who arrived in Australia before 1 January 2014, were voluntarily removed from Australia. One IMA detainee was involuntarily removed from Australia to their country of origin, consistent with Australia's obligations.
For the month of January 2019, zero IMAs voluntarily returned to their country of origin from a regional processing country.
As at 31 January 2019, there was a total of five people in the Nauru RPC. The Manus RPC closed on 31 October 2017.
The processing of refugee claims are matters for the governments of PNG and Nauru.
On 3-4 January 2019, the Royal Malaysian Police (RMP) raided a number of properties in the Port Klang area and arrested 34 people who were suspected to be imminently departing Malaysia illegally by boat. The ongoing investigation of this matter rests with the RMP.
