AUTHORITIES have helped another two rickety boats to shore with the latest boat bringing to 1846 the number of asylum seeker arrivals this month.
Customs said one vessel, carrying 132 passengers and three crew, sent out a distress call east of Christmas Island on Thursday and were immediately taken to Christmas Island.
HMAS Larrakia, operating under the co-ordination of the Australian Maritime Safety Authority’s Rescue Coordination Centre, was sent to the scene.
On Friday, another boat with 42 passengers and three crew were detected north-north-east of Christmas Island.
The boats are the 134th and 135th this year that have sailed into Australian waters, bringing 8930 people to Australia since January.
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Opposition immigration spokesman Scott Morrison said the continued arrivals did not bode well for the recent Budget.
“Another Labor budget saw yet another blow out in the cost of their failed border protection policies,” Mr Morrison said.
“Labor’s budget blowout on their border failures has now eclipsed $10 billion.”
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