The cost of taking an asylum-seeker boat from Indonesia to Australia has dropped dramatically.
People smugglers were charging as much as $US10,000 in 2013, a Senate committee heard on Monday.
But with Operation Sovereign Borders turning boats back to Indonesia, people smugglers have discounted prices to $US2000 as they struggle to attract customers.
Operation Sovereign Borders commander Andrew Bottrell told the hearing there have been 23 boat turn-backs and more than 680 asylum seekers returned to countries of departure under the boat crackdown since September 2013.
Two boat turn-backs to Indonesia had happened in November and one boat had made it close to Christmas Island.
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Major General Bottrell declined to confirm whether orange life boats were still being used for turn-backs, citing concerns about people smugglers thwarting plans.
