The prime minister has announced that he has arranged for the detention facilities on Christmas Island to be re-opened.
Scott Morrison told reporters on Wednesday, "we have approved putting in place the re-opening of the Christmas Island detention facilities, both to deal with the prospect of arrivals as well as dealing with the prospect of transfers".
Mr Morrison warned changes to a bill on medical evacuations for asylum seekers held offshore, which passed the lower house against the government's wishes, could restart the people-smuggling trade.
"My job now is to ensure that the boats don't come. My job now is to do everything within my power and in the power of the government to ensure that what the parliament has done to weaken our borders does not result in boats coming to Australia," he said.
He went on to criticise Labor for trying to "weaken and compromise our borders".
The Christmas Island detention centre closed in late 2018.
At the time, Immigration Minister David Coleman said the centre would be kept in a state of "operational readiness" so it could be re-opened at short notice.
The island was the scene of a mass tragedy in 2010, when 50 asylum seekers drowned when their boat sank after hitting rocks near Flying Fish Cove.
