REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, KUPANG -- The 65 migrants who were held by the police in Rote Ndao district, East Nusa Tenggara, arrived at Tenau Port here on Tuesday to be handed over to the local immigration office.

Chief of the Rote Ndao District Police Adjunct Senior Commissioner Hidayat said there were four women and three children below the age of five among them.

"As temporary shelter, we will take them to Ina Boy Hotel immediately, before their case is taken over by the immigration office," he told newsmen at the port.

On Sunday (May 31) night, the Rote Ndao police found the migrants stranded on the island of Landu Ti.

While one of the migrants is a citizen of Myanmar, 10 of them are Bangladeshis and 54 others, Sri Lankan.

According to Hidayat, the migrants wished to seek asylum in Australia but were driven back to the sea by security forces when they entered Australian territory.

There were two boats when the police found them. Soon after, they were rushed to the house of a village head.

The migrants were taken to Tenau, Kupang, aboard the Bahari Express boat, guarded by police officers from Rote Ndao.

Upon arrival, they were made to board four buses and then taken to Ina Boy hotel.

Ka'juran (32), one of the migrants from Sri Lanka, stated that he wished to go to New Zealand but had been held by Australian maritime security forces, which later drove them away towards Rote.

"We were only given some biscuits and several buoys before being driven away by Australian soldiers. We were then stranded in Rote," he noted.

"We were rejected by Australia but hope we are accepted here," he remarked.

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