ANOTHER asylum-seeker boat - carrying 146 passengers and three crew - was intercepted yesterday, the fourth boat to arrive since Friday.
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It brings to 479 the number of people who have arrived, and puts further strain on Australia's immigration system.
The Home Affairs Minister, Jason Clare, said that ''for operational and safety reasons'' Border Protection Command would transfer 134 people to Darwin for health, security and identity checks, while 15 would be transferred to Christmas Island.
Since August 13, people arriving by boat without a visa risk transfer to a regional processing country, but the boats continue to come.
On Saturday, the Immigration Minister, Chris Bowen, announced that 28 Sri Lankan men had agreed to return home from Christmas Island.