A boat carrying 100 to 200 passengers, who primarily hail from Delhi and Tamil Nadu, is purportedly making its way to New Zealand after it set sail from Kerala’s Munambam Harbour on the morning of 12 January, Reuters reported on Monday, 21 January.
The police have found 70 bags containing “dry goods and clothes”, as well as 20 identification documents which were apparently left behind by these migrants, who include a sizable number of women, children and the elderly.
The police arrested a man identified as Prabhu Dhandapani – a 29-year-old living in Delhi – who confirmed that the boat was bound for New Zealand, the news agency further reported citing two officers.
“The people and boat are missing somewhere in the sea. Many Indian agencies including the coast guard are trying to locate the boat.”Officer MJ Sojan, as quoted by Reuters
Meanwhile, Stephen Vaughan, the assistant general manager at Immigration New Zealand (INZ) called reports of these types of ventures “concerning”, while warning of the dangers of such a journey.
“Although there has never been a mass arrival in this country there’s no doubt that New Zealand is a target for people smugglers, and a mass arrival at some stage is a very real possibility that we need to be prepared for.”Stephen Vaughan, Immigration NZ, as quoted by Reuters
The more-than-11,000-km journey from Kerala to New Zealand by boat is considered to be extremely treacherous.
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