A top Indonesian immigration official says Australia's new policies won't deter the thousands of asylum-seekers trying to reach the country.
Pacnews reports the head of immigration enforcement Djoni Muhammad saying there are 100 thousand people across the region who want to leave for Australia and sending them offshore would not halt the tide.
Canberra has reintroduced offshore processing and nearly four hundred asylum seekers have been sent to Nauru waiting for processing to start.
Mr Muhammad told the ABC that with so many people waiting for refugee status in the region, the decision to send boat people offshore would not make a difference.
He said he had no answer to the problem.
An estimated 6000 asylum seekers in Indonesia have prompted protests in East Java.
