Record number of asylum seekers come to Australia by sea

This weekend saw three more vessels intercepted by the authorities as a record number of refugees attempt to cross the sea to Australia. On Friday night a boat was intercepted to the east of Christmas Island carrying 188 asylum seekers.

On Saturday two more vessels were intercepted, one carrying 104 passengers off the coast of Easter Island and another with 49 people on board near the Cocos Keeling Islands.

The passengers are all now undergoing security checks and being offered medical assistance. According to official figures well over 12,000 people have sought asylum so far in 2012.

Nearly 4,500 of those have come to Australia since offshore processing for immigrants reopened on Nauru in August. Scott Morrison, opposition spokesman on immigration, said the blame for a record number of refugees now being held in detention as well as a record number of arrivals had to be placed at the feet of half-hearted policies introduced by the government.

Separately, two security guards at Villawood detention centre have been accused of mistreating a mentally ill detainee. A spokesman for the Australian Federal Police said CCTV footage was currently being examined in association with the allegations. Immigration has declined to comment saying only that a police investigation into the matter is ongoing.