An Afghan man faces deportation to the country he fled after completing a nine-year prison term for acting as a "go-between" for people smugglers and passengers who took harrowing boat journeys from Indonesia to Australia.
Ahmad Zia Alizadah, 36, was found guilty after a lengthy District Court of WA trial of facilitating 11 people to illegally arrive in Australia on three separate boats between October 2009 and March 2010.
Alizadah fled Afghanistan after his father was killed following a longstanding war with an influential family, the court heard on Thursday.
He wound up in Indonesia and a week after his arrival in March 2009, he registered with the UNHCR as an asylum seeker.
The father-of-two then paid a people smuggler about $US7000 to get to Australia, joining more than 100 people on a journey that failed because the boat was ultimately abandoned.
He and 70 others were detained by Indonesian authorities for about five months but he escaped, helped by another man, who he loaned money to.
Alizadah then worked for people smugglers, including liaising with prospective passengers, collecting their money, and arranging their transfers and accommodation.
"I am unable to work out when you went from being a passenger to a facilitator," Judge Laurie Levy said.
He said he suspected it was due to financial hardship.
Australia granted Alizadah a refugee visa in April 2011 but he offended again six months later, helping two relatives in their failed attempts to get to Australia.
For that offending, he went to trial in Indonesia in 2014 and was jailed for six months.
Immediately after he was released, he was arrested by Australian authorities and fought extradition, but was brought to Perth in July last year.
Judge Levy said the passengers recounted harrowing stories of their journey and Alizadah had only shown contrition "somewhat belatedly".
Taking into account the fact Alizadah has been in Australian custody since April 2015, he will be eligible for parole in October next year after serving a non-parole period of four-and-a-half years.
There will likely be moves to deport him.
Defence counsel Anthony Eyers said three alleged co-conspirators were never prosecuted by Australian authorities.
Two were granted residency visas and live in Australia. One lives in Mandurah, south of Perth, and another on the east coast.
Aman Rezai, believed to be the ringleader, was interviewed by Australian authorities in an Indonesian jail in 2009 but his whereabouts are now unknown.
