Western Australia boat arrivals: Four more asylum seekers found near Broome

Four additional people have illegally arrived in Australia by boat after dozens of suspected asylum seekers were found on Friday.

Four more people have been found near far north Western Australia less than 24 hours after a boatload of suspected asylum seekers were discovered by border officials.

The ABC first reported that 33 people were found on Christmas Island on Friday morning after their boat was damaged in poor weather.

NCA NewsWire has independently confirmed that an additional four people reportedly from Vietnam were later detected offshore near Broome.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has said Australia’s borders are secure. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman

It’s understood that the group have been flown to an offshore detention facility on Nauru.

An Australian Border Force representative did not confirm the recent arrival; however a government source anticipated it would intensify scrutiny over Labor’s handling of border protection.

Friday’s arrivals comes after a group of five men believed to be from West Africa were detained last week after trying to illegally enter Australia on a dinghy.

Questioned over border security concerns on Sunday, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese argued he had sent a “very clear message” that illegal boat arrivals wouldn’t be accepted into the country.

“We have a very large coastline. What is clear, though, is that people who are unauthorised arrivals will not be settled in Australia,” Mr Albanese told reporters.

“Operation Sovereign Borders principles will apply as they have been in this case.”

Originally published as Western Australia boat arrivals: Four more asylum seekers found near Broome