Australian authorities intercept suspected asylum seeker boat

Australian authorities have intercepted a suspected asylum seeker boat near Broome, a week after another boat managed to reach Western Australia’s Geraldton port, foreign media reported.

HMAS Ararat, with the help of the WA police vessel Delphinus, boarded the boat on Sunday.

It was carrying 72 people and located about 28.5 nautical miles north-west of Broome when intercepted.

But the vessel had first been noticed by a Customs and Border Protection Dash-8 aircraft on Saturday when it was still more than 150 nautical miles north-west of Broome.

Some passengers been taken to Broome for medical treatment, Customs and Border Protection said on Monday.

The remainder will be transferred to Christmas Island for health and security checks.

Last week, a boat with 66 Sri Lankan asylum seekers managed to reach WA’s Geraldton port after spending weeks travelling more than 5000 kilometres.

Another boat arrived near Darwin last week, with 75 people on board.

Under existing legislation, asylum seekers who reach the mainland can avoid being sent to processing centres on Nauru or Manus Island in Papua New Guinea.

Labor wants to change this and the legislation is currently before the Senate.

If it succeeds, mainland Australia will join the Ashmore Islands, Cartier Island, Christmas Island and Cocos (Keeling) Islands in being designated out of the migration zone.

Asylum seekers who land outside the zone cannot make visa applications and must be processed offshore.