Australian authorities intercepted a boat carrying 17 suspected asylum seekers on Friday.
It was the 144th boat intercepted in Australian waters this year.
"This is a government that plainly has lost control of Australia's borders," Mr Abbott told reporters in Brisbane on Saturday.
Mr Abbott said Labor had brought back offshore processing of asylum seekers at Nauru but the measure would not succeed as a deterrent to people smugglers.
He said the government had to also reintroduce temporary protection visas and the option of turning boats back where safe to do so.
"Unless the government is prepared to do this, I fear the boats will just keep coming in ever increasing numbers," he said.
Mr Abbott said everyone who came to Australia should be appropriately treated, but a strong message had to be sent to people smugglers.
"We won't stop the boats if we don't make it crystal clear that there is no red carpet treatment for people arriving illegally in Australia," he said.
Under domestic and international law, it is legal for people to seek asylum in Australia.
The boat intercepted on Friday was the 41st since the federal government announced its offshore processing policy on August 13.
The 41 boats carried a total of 2324 people.
