Boat arrivals from Middle East
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12 passengers and two crew have been taken into immigration detention.
The Immigration Minister Chris Evans has confirmed that a group of people caught illegally in Australian waters last week are from the Middle East.
Yesterday, the Australian Navy intercepted a second boat carrying 17 people at an off-shore oil production facility off Australia's North West Coast.
Senator Evans says it is not yet known what country that group is from and whether they are seeking asylum.
However, he says 12 people that were taken to Christmas Island last week are from Afghanistan and Iran.
Two crew members were from Indonesia, he said.
"I haven't ruled out the possibility that these two boats may have been launched by the one people smuggling syndicate, " he said.
"We don't know as yet, but certainly I'm of the view that there may be a connection between the two.
