No change to boats policy: Dutton

There will be no change to the government's boat turn back policy under Malcolm Turnbull, says the immigration minister.

Federal Immigration and Border Protection Minister Peter Dutton

Peter Dutton Source: AAP

Immigration Minister Peter Dutton says there'll be no change to the government's stance on turning back asylum seeker boats under Malcolm Turnbull.

Nor will the leadership change have an impact on the government's hardline stance against resettlement.

"We are not going to be dictated by organised criminals," Mr Dutton told 2GB.

"We have not changed our position, we will not change our position."

Mr Dutton says his department has identified 200 people for the first intake of the 12,000 Syrian refugees to be resettled in Australia.

"We want to have as a priority women and children, families. We will be having a look at those who are most in need," he said.

"We offer a helping hand but... we are not going to be slack in relation to the screening of people."

Mr Dutton was one of the few ministers under Tony Abbott's reign to retain his portfolio in Mr Turnbull's cabinet reshuffle announced this week.

Australian bound boat detained in Java: report

A group of asylum seekers, including children, were reportedly detained on Wednesday in southern Java after an unsuccessful attempt to journey by boat to Australia.

The 21 from countries including Bangladesh, India and Pakistan were found floating off Jayanti Beach, Cianjur, early on Wednesday, local website Okezone reported.

Reports say they had set out for Christmas Island but were hampered by big waves, and they floated for three days without fuel before local fishermen found them.

"When we found them, they were lacking food and drink," a fisherman named Mamun told Okezone.

"Most of them are adults and some brought kids.

"We took them to the beach and then they were secured in Cidaun Police Station."

Immigration officials were preparing to collect information from the asylum seekers, the report said.



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Source: AAP


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