Editing Suspected Irregular Entry Vessel (section)

{{Short description|Australian military term}}
{{redirect|SIEV|other uses|Siev (disambiguation){{!}}Siev}}
{{Use Australian English|date=February 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2025}}

'''Suspected Irregular Entry Vessel''' ('''SIEV''') was the operational term used by the [[Australian Defence Force]] and [[Australian Coastwatch]] for maritime vessels that appeared to be attempting to reach Australia clandestinely.

The legal context was of vessels that were entering Australian waters [[unauthorised arrival|without authorisation]].<ref name="Customs Report 2008-09">{{cite web| title=Reference Material/6.3 Abbreviations| url=http://www.customs.gov.au/webdata/minisites/annualreport0809/pages/page85.html| work=Annual Report 2008-09| publisher=Australian Customs and Border Protection Service| accessdate=6 September 2013| quote='SIEV: Suspect ''Irregular'' Entrant Vessel'}}</ref> Previously the term 'Suspected ''Illegal'' Entry Vessel' was used.<ref name="Customs Report 2007-08">{{cite web| title=Reference Information/ Glossary and Acronyms| url=http://www.customs.gov.au/webdata/minisites/annualReport0708/pages/page41.html|work=Annual Report 2007-08 |publisher=Australian Customs and Border Protection Service| accessdate=6 September 2013 | issn=0818-2051 | quote=SIEV: Suspect ''Illegal'' Entrant Vessel}}</ref><ref name="Suspected 'Illegal'">{{cite web|last=McPhedran|first=Ian|author-link=Ian McPhedran|title=Seaman Matt Keogh's bravery aboard the ill-fated SIEV 36 chronicled in Too Bold To Die|url=http://www.news.com.au/entertainment/books/seaman-matt-keogh8217s-bravery-aboard-the-illfated-siev-36-chronicled-in-too-bold-to-die-by-news-corp8217s-ian-mcphedran/story-fn9412vp-1226700076817|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130915080032/http://www.news.com.au/entertainment/books/seaman-matt-keogh8217s-bravery-aboard-the-illfated-siev-36-chronicled-in-too-bold-to-die-by-news-corp8217s-ian-mcphedran/story-fn9412vp-1226700076817|archivedate=15 September 2013|publisher=News Corp Australia|website=news.com.au|accessdate=6 September 2013|date=19 August 2013}}</ref> These boats are almost exclusively carrying [[refugee|asylum seekers]] who have departed from Indonesia on the final leg of a journey which started in countries such as Iraq, Afghanistan and Sri Lanka after paying "[[people smuggler]]s".<ref name="Paid smugglers">{{cite news|last=Skelton|first=Russell|title=People smugglers operate as 'open secret'|url=http://www.smh.com.au/national/people-smugglers-operate-as-open-secret-20110128-1a8ds.html|accessdate=6 September 2013|newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald|date=29 January 2011}}</ref> During [[Operation Relex]], 12 SIEVs were intercepted. Four were forced back to Indonesia, and three sank.

SIEVs were given numerical designations. The vessel involved in the [[children overboard affair]] was the [[SIEV-4]]. The vessel that sank in 2001, killing 353 asylum seekers (mostly women and children) was designated by the press as SIEV X (a temporary operational term used by Coastwatch prior to designation, the SIEV-X often referred to in the press was reported not to have been detected prior to sinking).