MELBOURNE - THE Australian navy intercepted a refugee boat with almost 200 people aboard on Sunday off the country's north-west coast, Home Affairs Minister Brendan O'Connor said.

The boat is the 15th suspected people-smuggling craft to have been stopped in Australian waters or to have made landfall since January.

Mr O'Connor said a navy patrol intercepted the boat with 194 people aboard off Christmas Island about 2,600 kilometres (1,610 miles) from mainland Australia, where the government has an immigration detention centre.

The recent arrivals have led to allegations from the conservative opposition that the government is 'going soft' on border protection but O'Connor said the fact that the boat was intercepted showed its policies were effective.

'The Australian government is committed to strong border security arrangements and is determined to deal effectively and appropriately with people smugglers,' he said.

He did not reveal the nationalities of those on the vessel, although most of the boat people intercepted this year have been from Sri Lanka or Afghanistan. -- AFP