Group of foreign nationals spotted walking on the beach on a remote island in the Northern Territory
Four suspected asylum seekers have been spotted on a remote Australian island.
The group of four men were spotted walking on the beach of Croker Island, near the Coburg Peninsula in the Northern Territory, on Monday.
Northern Land Council officials said the land’s indigenous owners first spotted the men, who were suffering from the effects of a severe heatwave.
The council said the group was assisted by local Aboriginal rangers and Northern Territory Police officers.
It is clear that the foreigners are no longer in Australia.
A spokesman for Home Secretary and Immigration Minister Tony Burke said the Albanian government was taking a tough approach to smuggling operations.
“No human trafficking enterprise has been successful under our government. People who come to Australia by boat have zero chance of success,” they said SkyNews.
The council has previously urged the Australian Border Force (ABF) and the Albanian government to provide more support to rangers following a rise in reports of illegal fishing vessels on Croker Island.
The four men were spotted walking on the beach (pictured) on Croker Island, near the Coburg Peninsula in the Northern Territory, on Monday.
Rangers have reported seeing several illegal boats washed up in the area on Croker Island (photo Croker Island in the Top End region of the Northern Territory)
Traditional owners say the ships pose a threat to protected species and the natural environment.
Northern Territory Labor Minister Arafura Manuel Brown said the arrival of foreigners was “concerning”.
“These situations pose a potential safety risk to local communities and I urge authorities to ensure they have the necessary resources to respond,” Mr Brown said.
“A big thank you goes to the local people, traditional owners and rangers who found these people and cared for them while they waited for police.”
Federal Indigenous Affairs Minister Malarndirri McCarthy said better communication channels between rangers and police in the area are needed.
Croker Island is a remote island in Arnhem Land, 250 km northeast of Darwin.
The island, which consists of beaches, wetlands and swamps, has a population of about 265, according to the latest 2021 census.