By political reporter Simon Cullen Updated Fri 24 Jan 2014
Related Story: Indonesia says Australian border policies unhelpful
The Federal Government says no asylum seeker boats have been disembarked in Australia for 36 days - the longest stretch in almost five years.
Immigration Minister Scott Morrison released the news today in his weekly statement, which has replaced his former weekly media briefings.
He says the figure is proof the Government's border protection policy is working.
"This is the longest period of no illegal boat arrivals since March of 2009, when arrivals first started to significantly escalate as a consequence of the former Labor Government's decision to abolish the strong border protection regime they inherited from the Howard Government," Mr Morrison said in his weekly statement.
"While these results were pleasing, arrivals of around 300 per month (since Operation Sovereign Borders began) do not constitute success.
"Being able to sustain a zero rate of arrivals for more than five weeks, takes us further, but these outcomes need to be sustained."
Fact Check
PM Tony Abbott was incorrect to say asylum seekers who allege they were mistreated by the Navy were trying to break Australian law, the Fact Check unit concludes.The weekly update on boat arrivals does not include details of asylum seeker boats turned back to Indonesia, which is believed to have occurred on a number of occasions over recent months.
That aspect of the policy has caused tension in the relationship between Australia and Indonesia, along with revelations that the Australian Navy breached Indonesian waters on a number of occasions.
Over the past week, 55 asylum seekers were transferred to offshore detention centres in either Nauru or Manus Island, while a further five people voluntarily decided to return to their home countries of Sri Lanka and Iran.
The recent transfers have taken some of the pressure of the Christmas Island detention centre, where there are now 1,913 people being held.
There are now 2,288 asylum seekers being held at either the Nauru or Manus Island centres.
