Asylum seeker boat spotted near Christmas Island, residents say

Christmas Island residents say an asylum seeker boat made it close to shore this morning before being intercepted by the Navy. They did not rule out the prospect the boat may contain fishermen rather than asylum seekers.

It is not known where the alleged asylum seeker boat was taken. It said the boat appears to be moving further out to sea.

The Department of Immigration and Border Protection referred inquiries to Immigration Minister Peter Dutton, whose office is yet to respond.

“I saw a photograph of an Indonesian fishing boat that shows the boat at Smith Point in the port of [Christmas Island] waters”. Greens immigration spokeswoman Sarah Hanson-Young has called on the federal government to allow the boat to land and unload its passengers.

“If the government really does care about saving lives at sea, they wouldn’t tow this boat away from Christmas Island, they would let it land safely”, Ms Hanson-Young said in a statement on Twitter. “Malcolm Turnbull has to start being honest with the Australian people about what he’s going to do now”.

Mr Panjaitan, who visited Australia earlier this week, said discussions were “preliminary”.

Government frontbencher Steve Ciobo refused to confirm the reports but said any arrivals would be processed offshore and would “not find a home here in Australia”.

The immigration detention centre on Christmas Island is still recovering from a destructive two day riot, sparked by the death of an escaped detainee, which cost more than $10 million worth of damage.