Foreign Minister Bob Carr

Foreign Minister Bob Carr

Foreign Minister Bob Carr

Asylum seekers arriving by boat could top 50,000 a year, making a tough a reaction to stem an upswing unavoidable, Foreign Minister Bob Carr says.

Senator Carr said today as he was attacked for describing recent arrivals as economic migrants many about the boats had actually confirmed they were not fleeing persecution.

He stated with that basis they could not object to being resettled in PNG, a robust democracy having a free press and freedom of religion.

"The spike in the amount of people being due to people smugglers can make it unavoidable," he told Sky News.

"You've got 3000 people arriving monthly. The annual rate is something similar to 40 to 50,000 per year if it continues as of this level.

"Whether or not this continues with this level - the prime minister was very persuaded with this - it may rise further as people smugglers really close in to produce a financial killing."

Within the policy announced on Friday, all asylum seekers arriving by boat will probably be moved to PNG for processing.

If seen to be asylum seekers, they shall be settled in PNG not Australia. Or else seen to be asylum seekers, they shall be returned for their home country or even a third country.

Senator Carr said refugee advocate groups and also the Greens did not grasp that the nature from the problem had changed and required a bold solution.

He was quoted saying the newest policy was brutally honest in conveying the content that asylum seekers could pay a people smuggler $10,000 and face great peril on the ocean however they still wouldn't be settled around australia.