Suspected asylum seekers taken to Nauru as political storm over boat arrivals intensifies

Australian Border Force officers arrived in Beagle Bay on Friday and transferred the men out of the community by bus the following day. (ABC News: Andrew Seabourne)

Prime Minster Anthony Albanese has accused the opposition of being a “cheer squad” for people smugglers after Peter Dutton said the arrival of 39 asylum seekers in northern WA on Friday showed the government was weak on border protection.

The men were flown to an offshore immigration detention centre in Nauru earlier today.

Federal Opposition Leader Peter Dutton said the incident showed the Albanese government had sent a message to people smugglers that Australia was open for business.

Speaking in Perth on Sunday afternoon, Mr Albanese said the issue “had been resolved”, but Mr Dutton was “trying to send a different message to people smugglers”.

“The only person who’s out there on a cheer squad is Peter Dutton and he needs to explain how they think that the comments that he has made talking Australia down are appropriate,” the prime minister said.

The group of men, who claim to be from Pakistan, Bangladesh and India, was found by locals in the tiny Indigenous communities of Beagle Bay and Pender Bay.

North-west coastline exposed

WA Premier Roger Cook said he was not concerned about the situation but it highlighted a need to ensure the north-west coast was adequately protected.

“This is fundamentally a matter for the federal government to resolve,” Mr Cook said.

“But, it does emphasise just how exposed our vast north-west coast is.”

“That’s why we need to continue to make sure we have the resources to protect our coasts.”

Men arrived by boat

Beagle Bay locals found at least two dozen men along dirt tracks leading into the tiny Indigenous community on Friday morning.

They were in two groups, with about 21 discovered early on Friday, and a further three close to midday.

Another 13 men were discovered later the same day about 50 kilometres north at the Pender Bay campsite, which is run by a local Indigenous family.

The men told locals they arrived by boat from Indonesia.

Locals on the ground have told the ABC today no one from Border Force remained in the area and the search for more potential arrivals appeared to be over.

A government spokesperson said the 39 men constituted the “entire group”.

Mr Cook thanked the community for helping the men by giving them necessities such as water, and helping authorities with their efforts.

“The local authorities, the local communities, have always played an important role in being our eyes and ears,” he said.

“I’m really pleased that they were able to make sure that they could protect the wellbeing of those arrivals.”

Political storm continues

The arrival of the men has caused a political storm, with Shadow Defence Minister Andrew Hastie accusing Mr Albanese of not being “across his brief”, while Nationals leader David Littleproud also went on the attack.

“You don’t get on a boat unless you’ve got something to sell these people,” Mr Littleproud said.

“And they’ve been telling them that Australia’s borders are porous and then when you get here, you’re going to get out … these people smugglers have found a product.”

But Communications Minister Michelle Rowland warned the opposition against “alternative narratives”, noting that Australian Border Force had said that could be harmful.

“Any alternate narrative will be exploited by criminal people smugglers to deceive potential irregular immigrants and convince them to risk their lives and travel to Australia by boat,” Operation Sovereign Borders commander Rear Admiral Brett Sonter said in a statement on Saturday.

Home Affairs Minister Clare O’Neil said the government retained an “absolute” commitment to Operation Sovereign Borders and accused Mr Dutton of “trying to weaken our borders for his own political gain”.

“Every person who has attempted to reach Australia by boat since I have been Minister is back in their home country, or in Nauru, having wasted thousands of dollars and having risked their lives,” she said.

“Comments such as those made by the Opposition Leader this weekend run directly counter to Australia’s national security.

“This conduct undermines Operation Sovereign Borders and gives people smugglers the disinformation they need to get people on boats.”

Broome fishing charter skipper Harley Cuzens said he was not surprised to hear the men had made it to the mainland given the number of illegal Indonesian fishermen he saw and the “limited patrols” of the coastline.

“It’s not really a surprise. Look, I was a bit surprised that they wandered into Beagle Bay, but I’m not shocked by it,” he said.