Tony Abbott is appalled at the "outbreak of people smuggling" that has led to thousands of refugees being stranded in South-East Asian waters.
The prime minister insists stopping asylum seeker boats by being prepared to turn them around is the most compassionate thing to do.
"You have always got to treat people with decency and humanity but if we don't stop the boats, we can't stop the deaths," he told reporters in Sydney on Tuesday.
It's best for everyone if boats are stopped as close to their source as possible, he says.
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