In the first three months of 2009, the number of asylum seekers who used Indonesia as a transit point to travel to Australia increased to 600.
Many asylum seekers, including children and women, have ended up in Indonesian jails, causing some of the jails to become overcrowded.
Some quotes from Antara News of Jakarta turning Indonesia into `fortress` of `new world`
“Indonesia is Australia `s largest development assistance partner, according to a press statement of the Australian embassy in Jakarta early May 2009.
“Australia had `pushed` Indonesia to enact a law which would criminalize people `smugglers`.
“Australian Minister for Home Affairs Bob Debus officially opened a new computer based training (CBT) center in Bali as part of cooperative efforts between the Australian Federal Police, the Indonesian National Police and the United Nations Office for Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
“The center would increase the capacity of the Indonesian National Police to manage the training of Indonesian police officers in combating a range of transnational crime types, including the `smuggling` of foreign emigrants to Australia.
“Indonesian and Australian forces have been successfully intercepting boats at sea, turning emigrants back to Indonesia, and arresting asylum seekers before they attempt the journey to Australia.
