Poignant moment for crew of Tampa

By KATHERINE HOBY

Tampa captain Arne Rinnan's place in heaven is assured, say the refugees he saved.

Yesterday the Norwegian seaman, due to retire after this trip on the freighter, was reunited with some of those he plucked from their sinking vessel eight months ago.

The meeting was held out of the public eye but the refugee families, including 35 youths who left home without their parents, stopped at a Parnell lookout to see the Tampa docked in the distance.

Mohammad Ali said he wanted to thank the captain for giving the refugees "a new chance at life".

"We lost all hope on that boat and he rescued us. He is a great man, a very great man."

Captain Rinnan hit the headlines in August when he rescued 433 asylum-seekers, mostly Afghans, from their stricken vessel in the Indian Ocean.

Australia refused to let the refugees into its waters, attracting widespread international condemnation and outrage.

The captain defied orders, saying he was concerned for the wellbeing of the refugees, who were eventually transferred to Australian Navy ships and taken to Nauru. New Zealand accepted 131 of them.

The young men and boys looked healthy, and chattered animatedly as they pointed to the Tampa and took photographs grinning into the lenses.

The women in headscarves, some clutching babies, were quieter, as if reflecting on their emotional experience. One put an arm around another and pulled her close.

The refugees carried several gifts from their new home to give to the man who had saved them, and his crew. Some of the youths had put together a photograph album with pictures and letters.

Child, Youth and Family manager Julie Sutherland, who was escorting the group, said the letters were poignant.

"One says that when the captain goes to heaven, if he brings the letter it will be his passport in."

Other gifts included flowers, a handmade photo frame, and a waka huia (feather box for treasures). The crew were to be given bone carvings.

Bashir Rahini said it was painful and pleasing to see the ship that saved them.

"I can't explain how we are feeling. It is a lot to feel at one time," he said.

"Captain Rinnan is a hero for us."

Immigration Minister Lianne Dalziel has announced that the latest intake of 140 United Nations-approved refugees will arrive here this week.

Feature: Immigration

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