Indonesia has detained 66 asylum-seekers from Afghanistan and Iran who were on their way to Australia when their boat ran aground, police said Wednesday.
The migrants, including women and children, were found Tuesday on a beach off East Nusa Tenggara province in the far east of the archipelago.
"They were found Tuesday around noon on a beach in Usu island. They were trying to reach Australia," Rote Ndao district deputy police chief I Nyoman Widjana said.
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"There are four women and five toddlers in the group, 34 of them are Iranians and 32 are Afghans."
Many asylum-seekers pass through Indonesia with the help of people-smugglers before embarking on the dangerous boat journey to northern Australia.
An increase in the number of asylum-seekers arriving by boat from Asian trouble-spots has provoked heated political debate in Australia ahead of upcoming elections.
