Australia, Sri Lanka to discuss plan against people smuggling

Australia will discuss a plan to fight people smuggling with Sri Lankan government and naval authorities, Foreign Minister Bob Carr, who is visiting Sri Lanka, announced in a statement on Monday. There has been a rise in the number of Sri Lankans paying people smugglers for travel to Australia. This plan, including increased on-water co-operation, intelligence sharing and reducing incentives for smuggling ventures, is in a bid to crack down on people smuggling. "There is a message from these talks to people in Sri Lanka -- by getting on that boat you risk your life, you'll lose your money and you will be sent back home," Carr said in the statement Monday. "We're setting a clear agenda for intelligence sharing, naval co-operation and helping rebuild Sri Lanka -- all designed to reduce people smuggling." he said. According to local media, Australia has intercepted dozens of fishing boats being used to smuggle thousands of people in recent months. Of those, 700 people were returned to Sri Lanka.