Australia probes link between two boatloads of people

08/10/2008 09:10:19

Australia's immigration minister Chris Evans says the illegal arrival of another 17 people off Australia's north west coast does not mark the start of a new wave of asylum seekers.

The Australian Navy intercepted the group on Monday at an offshore oil production facility, but their nationality has not been confirmed and it is not yet known if they are seeking asylum.

Senator Evans says he believes the group may be linked to 12 Afghan and Iranian people caught in the same waters last week.

However, he says anti people smuggling operations have kept asylum seekers travelling to Australia at relatively low numbers.

"We will reinvigorate our efforts, but we are doing everything we can; working with the Indonesians, having enormous border control measures in place. They are working in the sense that people aren't getting to the mainland, but it remains a constant battle and that hasn't changed."

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