Immigration Minister Scott Morrison has declared Australia is getting the upper hand in its fight against people smugglers, with no asylum seeker boats arriving in the past week.
At a weekly update on Operation Sovereign Borders, Mr Morrison said the balance was finally shifting in favour of the efforts of the Australian and Indonesian governments to combat people smuggling.
"For the first time in five years we are now getting the upper hand over the people smugglers and we do not intend to yield this ever again," he told reporters in Sydney on Friday.
"This is not due to any one measure or any one policy but the combined effects of all measures, the professional and swift implementation of those measures, and the strong resolve of this government on our borders that does what it says."
Operation commander, Lieutenant General Angus Campbell, confirmed no boats had arrived in Australian waters in the week up to 9am (AEDT) Friday.
Just five boats carrying 339 asylum seekers were intercepted in October.
Mr Morrison said the people smuggling trade was now "highly vulnerable" to the cooperative approach of Indonesia and Australia.
But he expected there would be more boat arrivals going into the monsoon season.
"We do expect that smugglers will take the opportunity during this period to attempt to exploit this window of opportunity, to clear remaining willing passengers who still number in the thousands in Indonesia," Mr Morrison said.
Click on the audio tab to hear about a new centre at the University of New South Wales which is hoping to take the heat out of the debate over asylum-seekers, with Kathy Novak and Sacha Payne.
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