Prime Minister John Howard vowed Saturday to intensify military surveillance along Australia's northern coastline to prevent a repeat of the past week's asylum seeker crisis.
"Commencing immediately the Australian defense force will conduct enhanced surveillance patrol and response operations in international waters between the Indonesian archipelago and Australia," Howard said.
"It is important that our surveillance and patrol activity in the waters between Indonesia and Australia be enhanced... at the present time," he told reporters in Sydney.
Howard said Jakarta had already been informed of Australia's intentions, and "welcomed the advance notice and they indicated to our military delegation that they would offer port visits and refuelling facilities for the Australian vessels".
"This will involve five naval vessels and four P3 Orion aircraft," the prime minister added.
Howard earlier announced face-saving deals for New Zealand and Nauru to accept the 438 asylum seekers aboard a Norwegian freighter, the Tampa, stranded off Australia's northwest coast.
The Tampa's mainly-Afghan refugees have been living on the deck of the ship in squalid conditions for almost a week as Australia, Norway and Indonesia argued over who should accept them.
The asylum seekers, including pregnant women and children, were plucked from the sea by the Tampa's crew last Sunday after captain Arne Rinnan was alerted to their plight aboard a leaky Indonesian vessel by Australian maritime authorities.
The offers by New Zealand and Nauru to accept the Tampa's human cargo effectively defused the diplomatic row that raged while the ship lay anchored off Christmas Island.
Canberra estimates that up to 5,000 asylum seekers are now preparing to try to enter Australia from Indonesia in order to lodge applications for refugee status --
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