The Coalition has seized on a video apparently showing a group of men stranded on a northern Australian beach, arguing that it's evidence of a Labor failure on border security.
The footage was filmed by a helicopter business in Northern Australia and posted via its Facebook account.
SBS has confirmed with one of the company's pilots that his colleagues encountered a group of men, who they believed to be unauthorised maritime arrivals, on 24 April.
The men had scrawled an SOS message in the sand and did not speak English, the company said, adding that its employees had called Border Force to respond.
The agency — currently operating under caretaker conventions — would not comment or confirm the reports.
When pressed on this issue this afternoon, Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke told SBS the government does not comment on operational matters, adding that any unauthorised arrivals would be detained and deported.
The Coalition was quick to seize on the video.
Opposition Home Affairs spokesperson James Paterson said: "Media reports of an apparent illegal maritime arrival are deeply concerning".
"Regardless of whether they are people smugglers or illegal fishers, no one should be able to reach the Australian mainland undetected," Senator Paterson said.
"Once again, we have seen the Albanese government relying on private businesses alerting the government to serious security concerns," he said, citing a recent case in which a commercial airline pilot was the first to alert the government to live-fire exercises being conducted by the Chinese military in the Tasman Sea.
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