Australia’s Immigration Minister Scott Morrison today insisted there was no at-sea emergency concerning a boatload of asylum seekers coming from southern India, a stance refugee advocates called “cavalier and dismissive”.

“A boat hasn’t arrived — let’s be quite clear,” Mr Morrison told reporters in Melbourne this morning.

The minister would not discuss whether a boat might be on its way from southern India despite reports that this was the case.

Mr Morrison would not say whether he had ever talked to the government of India about preparing for such a situation or whether he was taking any steps to prepare for a boat from that country.

The development could challenge the government’s policy to turn back boats since it would be difficult, if not impossible, to turn an Indian boat back to Indonesia.

Since the minister’s comments, Fairfax Media and the ABC have reported that an asylum seeker had spoken by satellite phone to warn of “huge waves and very bad conditions”.

The reports, which said the boat had set off from India but contained Tamil asylum seekers from Sri Lanka, quoted the man as saying the boat was at threat.

Refugee activists said today that the 21m boat had been at sea since June 13 and had sprung an oil leak. The oil was expected to run out by lunch time today.

Refugee Action Coalition spokesman Ian Rintoul called Mr Morrison’s attitude to issue “cavalier and dismissive”.

“We don’t want to see the government waiting until it’s too late,” he said.

Mr Rintoul said yesterday that the boat, with a passenger load that included 32 women and 37 children, had made contact with Australian maritime rescue authorities. Mr Rintoul said he spoke with the asylum-seekers on Thursday night and they were asking for help.

There was speculation on Christmas Island today that the asylum seekers may have already been collected and were on-board an Australian Navy vessel that appeared on the horizon overnight and remained within sight of the island.

During previous successful turnbacks under Operation Sovereign Borders, asylum seekers have been transferred to Navy and Customs vessels and held for days within sight of the island.

Mr Morrison said today that the government did not comment on matters unless there was a significant event at sea, particularly when it involved the safety of life at sea.

“There is no such report for me to provide to you today. If there was a significant event happening then I would be reporting it,” he said.

“This is another day at the office for Operation Sovereign Borders. It’s the same as yesterday, it’s the same as tomorrow, we deal with threats as they present,” he said.

“And we are always mindful of issues of the safety of life at sea.”

Opposition immigration spokesman Richard Marles said today that he had heard reports of a second, boat carrying people that left from Java also nearing Australian waters.

Mr Marles said he had no doubt Australian Customs and the Navy would do their job and provide assistance when it become necessary, but called Mr Morrison’s comments “a complete farce”.

Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young said that turning a boat back to India was “simply not an option”.

“If the Prime Minister intends on creating a diplomatic row with India by attempting to turn the boat back, he needs to be upfront out that,” she said.

If a boat did reach Australia, it would be the first since December 19. The government has previously refused to give details about boats it has sent back or asylum-seekers it has intercepted and transferred to orange life boats and turned back.

 - The Australian