REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, KUPANG -- At least 355 of 990 illegal immigrants from Middle East held earlier in Kupang detention center have the status of refugees from the U.N. High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR).

The other 591 were given the status of asylum seekers by the UNHCR, head of the immigration division of the East Nusa Tenggara provincial law and human rights office Wisner Sitompul said here on Wednesday.

The immigrants have been detained by police when they tried to illegally cross to Australia by hiring small boats from local fishermen to seek asylum in that country, Wisner said.

Head of the immigrant detention center Syahrifullah said 130 of the 990 illegal immigrants from Middle East have been moved to immigrant detention houses in other regions in the country as the number of inmates has exceeded the capacity and a number of other were deported to their respective countries.

Head of the immigration office in Kupang Silvester Sili Laba said food for the immigrants is provided by the International Organization of Migrants (IOM).

"They are treated well and there is no trouble among them. They are friendly to each other," Silvester said.

Syahrifullah said there are only 182 illegal immigrants remaining in the detention center almost precisely as its capacity.

"Most of them have been moved to 12 other immigrant detention centers in the country, because of the limited capacity of the Kupang detention center," he said.

Wisner Sitompul said the UNHCR would decide when the refugees and asylum seeker would be moved from Indonesia.

"It depends on the receiving countries," he said, adding, "we are only responsible for accommodating them and the IOM is responsible for feeding them."

Silvester said many of the illegal immigrants have changed their mind about going to Australia as they knew Australia has refused to accommodate and provide protection for them.

"Some of them wanted to be deported to their countries although it is a difficult choice for them," he said.

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