ADELAIDE, Australia – Australia's home affairs minister says authorities have intercepted a boat carrying 52 suspected asylum seekers in the Indian Ocean north of Australia.
Brendan O'Connor says that Border Protection Command agents detained the boat Friday morning near Ashmore Island, off northwestern Australia.
He said in a statement that the 52 passengers and three crew on board were being taken to an immigration detention center on remote Christmas Island. Officials will assess their health and reasons for travel.
Australia has long been a destination for asylum seekers, with most coming from Afghanistan, Iran and Sri Lanka. An increase in boat arrivals in the last year has led to a political debate over the government's immigration policies.