Asylum seekers have right to sail on - expert

The Australian Government has no legal right to try to detain 10 Chinese asylum seekers who are currently in Darwin en route to New Zealand, according to a legal expert from The Australian National University. Professor Donald Rothwell of the ANU College of Law says there is no evidence to suggest that the asylum seekers have broken any Australian laws, or that they have been brought to Australia by people smugglers. As such, there is nothing to prevent them from continuing their journey. "All people and their ships are entitled to enjoy the freedom of navigation within Australian waters provided they do so peacefully and act consistently with Australian and international law. Provided their vessel is seaworthy, the onward journey of the asylum seekers from Darwin cannot be prevented," Professor Rothwell said. Asylum seekers have sought to reach New Zealand by boat on a number of occasions over the past decade. In March 2009 a boatload of 50 people from Sri Lanka was intercepted in the Torres Strait en route to New Zealand.