Asylum seekers sent home via charter jet from Christmas Island

A boatload of asylum seekers intercepted by Australian Border Force officers on Thursday have been flown straight back home by a charter jet in the dead of night.

A group of 45 asylum seekers has been flown back to Sri Lanka after they unsuccessfully attempted to reach Australia by boat.

Residents of Christmas Island reportedly said that the group of would-be asylum seekers were brought ashore early Thursday morning by officials they said appeared to be attached to Operation Sovereign Borders.

According to reports in The Australian, the individuals were taken to a waiting Skytraders Airbus charter flight and sent to Sri Lanka.

The Department of Home Affairs and Home Affairs Minister Clare O’Neil have been approached for further details including information about whether the group in question managed to reach Australian waters.

The opposition said that the incident showed that people smugglers would seek to restart their trade with the arrival of a Labor government.

A Skytrader flight at Christmas Island airport in 2015.

“I have consistently said people smugglers are watching. And they clearly are. This is exactly what the Coalition said would happen and it is happening,” Opposition Home Affairs spokeswoman Karen Andrews reportedly said.

“The Albanese government needs to urgently explain how it is going to manage illegal boat arrivals and ensure people smugglers aren’t selling passage because of the change in government.”

More to come.