Thousands of migrants seek a better life

According to International Organisation for Migration (IOM) figures, 3,754 migrants have illegally entered Indonesia since 1998. This however, only includes those picked up, and the true number is believed to be higher.

The United Nations estimates that 2,700 illegal migrants pass through Indonesia en route for Australia every year.

Click here to see a map of the migrants' route

Some migrants are fleeing from war and persecution, others simply seek the chance for a better life. But the perilous journey has led to the loss of hundreds of lives.

Migrants are forced to put their lives in the hands of criminal gangs, who often cram as many people as possible onto dangerously decrepit boats.

In October 2001 about 350 people, mainly Iraqis, drowned when their overloaded boat broke up off the Indonesian island of Sumatra.

Strained relations

The United Nations High Commissioner (UNHCR) is concerned that harsh crackdowns on economic migrants could threaten the rights of genuine refugees.

Under what Australia terms its 'Pacific solution' all migrants attempting to enter its territory by boat are now either turned away or detained on the tiny Pacific islands of Nauru, or Manus Island, about 350 kilometres (210 miles) off Papua New Guinea.

The Australian navy destroys an abandoned asylum seekers' boat

This policy has attracted strong international and human rights criticism, and has led to strained regional relations, in particular between Canberra and Jakarta.

Indonesia has decried what it believes is Australia's unilateralist and heavy handed approach, while Australia has accused Indonesia of not doing enough to stop migrants leaving its shores.

Australia's asylum laws came in for further criticism from human rights groups in January after Afghan detainees staged a 16-day hunger strike at the Woomera camp to protest at conditions, and to demand speedier processing of their asylum claims.

New solutions

The UNHCR is exploring ways of returning economic migrants to their countries of origin, and adopt "burden-sharing" by developed countries to accept genuine refugees.

There are currently about 600 recognised refugees in Indonesia, but so far only 170 have been offered resettlement in another country.

According to the UN, there are about 22 million refugees and displaced people worldwide.

Pakistan and Iran, which together host the world's largest number of refugees - 3.8 million displaced Afghans - have accused richer nations of not playing a sufficient role.