Sydney  - Prime Minister Kevin Rudd confirmed Tuesday that he had telephoned Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to plead for help in stemming a fresh tide of illegal immigrants sent on their way by people smugglers.

"Working with our friends in the region is important to deal with this because of the huge push factors coming from political disturbances in Sri Lanka and Afghanistan and the wider Middle East," Rudd said, confirming he had spoken to Yudhoyono at the weekend.

The call was followed by Indonesian authorities interdicting a boat carrying 260 Sri Lankans who had left Java and were headed for Australia. The migrants were returned to port in West Java province and will rejoin the thousands of others waiting to make the trip to Australia.

More than 30 boats have arrived this year, compared with just seven for the whole of 2008. More than 1,600 asylum-seekers have arrived in Australia since August, when Rudd again softened Canberra's treatment of illegal arrivals.

Rudd began unwinding the harsher regime of the previous conservative government when he took office after the November 2007 election.

Under former prime minister John Howard, boats were intercepted and those on board taken to Pacific island countries that hosted offshore immigration centres on Canberra's behalf. There, they were processed under United Nations rules, which are stricter than Australia's own rules.

The upturn in arrivals is likely to feature in campaigning in a general election expected next year. Opposition leader Malcolm Turnbull has accused Rudd of going soft on border protection and pledged to bring in a harsher regime if voted into office.

"There's no question that what he's done has encouraged people smuggling," Turnbull said. "I would not rule in or out any measure."

Rudd has replaced five-year temporary protection visas for illegal arrivals deemed genuine refugees with permanent residence. He has also discontinued the Howard policy of billing failed asylum seekers for the cost of their detention.

Rather than sending asylum seekers to Pacific island nations for processing, they await the outcome of their applications in Australia. The immigration centre in the Pacific Ocean territory of Christmas Island will soon reach capacity, forcing Rudd to use facilities on the mainland. (dpa)