Refugees Arrive in Malaysia, Indonesia after Thai Crackdown
Malaysia detained more than a thousand Bangladeshi and Rohingya refugees, including dozens of children, police said, a day after authorities rescued hundreds stranded off the coast of Indonesia's western tip. There has been a huge increase in refugees from impoverished Bangladesh and Myanmar drifting on boats to Malaysia and Indonesia in recent days after Thailand, usually the initial destination in the region's people smuggling network, announced a crackdown on the trafficking. Over 100 refugees from these countries were found wandering around in southern Thailand last week, apparently after they were abandoned by the smugglers. An estimated 25…
Stowaways in S. African Port: Authorities Change Policy
There have been changes in the way authorities deal with stowaways in South African ports, now making the ship responsible for preventing unauthorised personnel from boarding in the first place, the UK P&I Club informs. If immigration decide that any person illegally on board is a stowaway then the vessel will be liable for all the costs and consequences of repatriation. Over the past two weeks, three cases have arisen involving stowaways and it appears that the local immigration…
Guangzhou Panyu Lingshan Shipyard Prepares for Deliveries
The welders and fitters are busy at the Guangzhou Panyu Lingshan Shipyard. A pair of self-dumping hopper barges are shaping up in one building shed on the shore of the Pearl River, while a 19 x 4.5-metre patrol launch for the Hong Kong Immigration Department awaits the installation of a pair of Cummins QSK19 engines with 3:1 ZF gears in an adjacent shed. The launch, built to Hong Kong Marine Department standards, has a pair of Cummins/Onan generator sets and a 15-knot running speed. On the inland side of the building sheds, steel is being cut and shaped for additional projects. At the fitting out dock, a handsome 29.4-metre tug is having a pair of 12-cylinder 1200-HP Cummins KTA38-M2 engines fitted.
