16 Apr 2013

Geraldton boat decision soon: govt

1:34 pm on 16 April 2013

Immigration Minister Brendan O'Connor says asylum seekers who arrived on a boat in Western Australia will soon learn if they will be sent back to Sri Lanka.

A boat with 66 Sri Lankan asylum seekers reached the port of Geraldton last Tuesday after a voyage of more than 5000km.

Mr O'Connor said the federal government had made it "very clear" that if asylum seekers fail to meet the requirements of the United Nations Refugee Convention, they will be sent home.

"Very shortly, we will make an announcement about returning people home who are not refugees if that is the case," he told Sky News on Tuesday.

AAP reports another boat carrying 75 people arrived near Darwin last week.