The Australian navy's HMAS Glenelg intercepted a vessel carrying 98 people northwest of Christmas Island this morning.

"This is a successful interception by our aerial and maritime surveillance teams," Home Affairs Minister Brendan O'Connor told reporters in Sydney today.

"We've prevented this vessel reaching the mainland. It will be taken to Christmas Island where there will be an identity, health and security check of those people.

"At this point we cannot confirm the origin of these passengers."

Earlier, Mr O'Connor had addressed the Defence Conference 2009, discussing Australia's border management issues.

"It's clear that as a result of the conflicts in Afghanistan, in Sri Lanka and in Iraq, we have people seeking haven in the developed world, but if you look at the statistics, last year 333,000 people sought refugee status in Europe, 50,000 in the United States, 35,000 in Canada and 4,750 in Australia," Mr O'Connor said.

"So whilst it's an issue, it is a smaller issue here than in other places around the world.

"Can I say in relation to the irregular maritime arrivals, that we put all of our efforts to prevent people getting on those boats endangering their lives and acting in a manner that's improper."

The minister said that in Indonesia, Australian Federal Police-trained officers would be stationed at 12 locations in an attempt to "disrupt and dismantle" the people-smuggling syndicates believed responsible for some of Australia's boat people.

More than 1,400 people have arrived on 26 unauthorised boats so far this year, with the latest boatload taking the number of boat arrivals in the past two weeks to seven.

Mr O'Connor denied suggestions an increase in the number of displaced persons heading to Australia was the result of a "sympathetic" Rudd government.

"Without doubt the primary reason people seek haven is because of the push factors," he said.

"It's because of the conflicts that occur in their own countries, it's because of war, civil conflict, famine. That's the primary reason why people sought to come here in the '70s under the Fraser government ... and it's why we're seeing an increase now."

He said the Christmas Island detention centre currently had about 700 detainees, with the capacity for a total of 1,200.

"To date the capacity of Christmas Island satisfies the needs of this country."