Jakarta raises turnbacks before PM visit

Indonesia has once again raised its dislike of Australia's controversial asylum seeker policies, ahead of the prime minister's first visit.

A boat used by Indonesian people smugglers in Rote island. (File photo) Source: AAP

Indonesia has aired concerns that Australia's asylum seeker policy has created a "bottleneck" in its backyard, before Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull's first visit to Jakarta.

Mr Turnbull will meet President Joko Widodo on Thursday, days after an asylum seeker's death and violent unrest at the troubled Christmas Island detention centre.

Indonesian Foreign Ministry director-general for multilateral affairs, Hasan Kleib, says offshore processing is Australia's right, but it must consider its neighbours.

"What we ask is to remember the impact of this policy is also felt by other countries in the region," he told reporters on Tuesday.

"Let's sit together to share responsibility, to share burden."

Mr Kleib says asylum seekers turned back to Indonesia end up waiting there for years.

"What worries me, is that after spending a long time stranded here then they will consider us their destination," he said.

"Because they couldn't enter Australia, then they would settle for Indonesia ... they're blocked, stuck in a bottleneck, then they're not returning (home)."

As of December 2014, the UNHCR counted about 11,000 registered asylum seekers and refugees in Indonesia.

UNHCR representative Thomas Vargas says Indonesia set an example in May when it allowed Rohingya to disembark and shelter in Aceh.

"Other governments need to be doing the same thing and I'm hopeful there will continue to be a forum for the governments to sit around a table together and come to some solution," he said.

More Rohingya are expected to flee Myanmar in the "sailing season" that has already begun.

Thirteen states including Indonesia, Australia and New Zealand are due to meet this month for regional talks.

Mr Vargas says the regional refugee crisis should be on the leaders' agenda this week.

"Indonesia has been moving towards finding solutions, and we remain hopeful that Australia will also be involved," he said.